Norepinephrine elevations in cerebrospinal fluid after d- and l-amphetamine

Abstract

We continuously collected cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the lateral ventricles of monkeys and gave them from 0.1 to 1.0 mg/kg d- or l-amphetamine intravenously. The norepinephrine (NE) content of their CSF had a small circadian rhythm and a large increase after amphetamine. 1.0 mg/kg amphetamine gave a four-fold rise in CSF-NE which remained elevated for 33 h, smaller doses gave proportionately lesser responses. Both d- and l-amphetamine caused similar NE elevations except for minor differences at the highest dose. If there are differences in behavioral effects of moderate doses of d- and l-amphetamine, they are probably not due to a general difference in central NE release from these stereoisomers.