Ex vivo assays
After the behavioral tests, rats were sacrificed by decapitation and the
cerebral cortices were quickly removed for the synaptosomal [3H]5-HT
uptake assay. Other groups of animals were anaesthetized with a single
intraperitoneal injection of Equithesin (6 ml/kg), a mixture containing
sodium pentobarbital (58 mg/kg), chloral hydrate (60 mg/kg), magnesium
sulfate (127.2 mg/kg), propylene glycol (42.8%) and absolute ethanol
(11.6%), for blood sample collection.