title: Postnatal behavioral alterations resulting from prenatal administration of dl-alphamethylparatyrosine.
abstract: We have previously reported that injection of dl-alphamethylparatyrosine methylester (AMPT) into the yolk sac of fertilized chicken eggs prior to incubation results in dose-related increases in the specific activity of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) at 29 days postnatally. We now report that injection of 10.0 and 33.3 mg/kg of AMPT prior to incubation results in dose-related increases in acquisition rates of 2 operant responses. Between 1 and 3 weeks of postnatal age, we observed a dose-related decrease in latency to perform a detour response and, at 55-60 days of postnatal age, an increased rate of acquisition of a key peck response in an autoshaping paradigm. We could not discern any significant alteration in several measures of unconditioned behaviors in an open field situation at 3 weeks of postnatal age. Our data support the contention that early catecholamine (CA) depletion can produce long-term alterations in postnatal behavior.
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000378:metabolism; D002642:Chick Embryo / Q000187:drug effects; D002645:Chickens; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D007267:Injections; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D014817:Vitelline Membrane
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines; D014443:Tyrosine