d-Amphetamine and punished responding: the role of catecholamines and anorexia.
Rats were trained to press a lever for food on a schedule in which components of variable interval reinforcement (V12') alternated with conflict components in which every response resulted in food delivery and footshock. Low doses of d-amphetamine selectively suppressed responding in the conflict component in a dose-dependent manner, whereas prefeeding suppressed responding in both components. Pretreatment with noradrenergic blocking agents (propranolol, phentolamine and phenoxybenzamine) did not diminish the suppressant effect of d-amphetamine, but this effect was reduced by pretreatment with alpha-methyl-para-tyrosine methylester and dopamine blockers (spiroperidol, haloperidol and clozapine) indicating that d-amphetamine was exerting its selective suppressant effect via the release of dopamine. It is suggested that the effects of low doses d-amphetamine on behaviour in conflict situations may provide a useful model for investigating the mode of action of neuroleptic drugs.
D000818:Animals; D000855:Anorexia / Q000523:psychology*; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000502:physiology*; D003024:Clozapine / Q000494:pharmacology; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects*; D003913:Dextroamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005508:Food Deprivation; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008781:Methyltyrosines / Q000494:pharmacology; D010646:Phentolamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011678:Punishment; D051381:Rats
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D002395:Catecholamines; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists; D008781:Methyltyrosines; D003024:Clozapine; D006220:Haloperidol; D003913:Dextroamphetamine; D010646:Phentolamine