Nomifensine alters sex differences in striatal dopaminergic function.

A series of three experiments are presented in which the acute effects of the catecholamine reuptake inhibitor, nomifensine, upon striatal dopaminergic function are compared in female and male mice. In Experiment 1, treatment with nomifensine (5 mg kg⁻¹), at 30 min prior to injection of methamphetamine (40 mg kg⁻¹) significantly decreased the amount of striatal dopamine depletion in male, but not female, mice, thereby abolishing the sex difference in methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity (males > females). In Experiment 2, the methamphetamine-evoked sex differences in dopamine and DOPAC output from superfused striatal tissue (males > females) were abolished in mice treated with nomifensine at 30 min prior to tissue removal.