【Objective】
In vivo microdialysis is a technology to measure the concentration of a target substance in extracellular fluid at a localized site by collecting the substance through a dialysis membrane. In the brain, the dialysate enables us to assess real-time changes in neurotransmitters. Therefore, the technique is a useful method for the pharmacological action of central nervous system compounds. In order to fully support researchers, we would like to present an example of the antidepressant evaluation systems using the dialysate from various brain regions in rodents.
【Methods & Results】
A microdialysis probe was inserted into each of the hippocampus or the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in C57BL/6J mice. After 2hour of pre-perfusion, the dialysate was collected at 20-minute intervals at a flow rate of 1µL/min. Then, mice were treated with intraperitoneal injection of R-fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor for the treatment of depression, and the dialysate was recollected. The next day, dopamine and serotonin levels were measured by HPLC-ECD. As a result of the study, serotonin release was significantly increased in the hippocampus compared to pre-administration. On the other hand, dopamine release was significantly increased in mPFC compared to pre-administration.
【Conclusions】
In this study, we confirmed the effects of a single antidepressant administration on brain monoamines in wild-type mice. We will continue to introduce a wide range of technologies and evaluation systems to provide value-added pre-clinical testing services.