Effect of ICV pertussis toxin and N-ethylmaleimide on the levels of substance P and serotonin in brain and spinal cord of the rat.

The effects of single intracerebroventricular (icv) injections of either 0.5 microgram pertussis toxin or 5 micrograms N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) on the levels of immunoreactive substance P (ir-SP) and serotonin (5-HT) in the brain and spinal cord of rats have been assessed. At two and six days after pertussis toxin injection, the levels of ir-SP appeared significantly diminished in the spinal cord (about 34%). This reduction was even greater at two days after NEM injection (43%). These two agents did not alter the ir-SP of the midbrain and thalamus, whereas NEM increased the neuropeptide content in the pons-medulla. On the other hand, the thalamic content of serotonin was reduced two days after pertussis toxin (32%) or NEM (20%) injection. The indoleamine levels of the spinal cord were reduced by these treatments (20%), while in the midbrain a slight decrease could be observed. These findings suggest that pertussis toxin and NEM produce these effects by acting upon a common neural substrate.