The Effect of Catnip, an Hallucinogen, on the Neurotransmitters Serotonin, Norepinephrine and Dopamine

Abstract

The concentration of Norepinephrine in rat brain was compared to the levels in mouse and rat brains which had previously been studied. Whole brains of white rats where extracted and the concentration of Norepinephrine was determined fluorometrically. Present studies indicated that the concentration of this neurotransmitter was the same in the rat brain as it was in the mouse although there was a large variance in the sample. In other experiments, the brain was divided into four regions, 1. the medulla and pons, 2. the cerebral (right) hemisphere, 3. the cerebral (left) hemisphere, and 4. the cerebellum, prior to extraction and assay. The concentration of norepinephrine in these areas varied, with the concentration in the medulla and pons higher and the cerebellum lower than previous reports in mouse and rat brains.