title: Behavioral and biochemical effects of neonatal treatment of rats with 6-hydroxydopa.
abstract: Rats receiving injection of either 6-hydroxydopa (60 mug/g) or saline on Days 1, 3, and 5 of life were studied in adulthood on a number of behavioral tasks before being sacrificed at 8 or 12 months for NE assay. The treated rats exhibited impaired passive avoidance, less shock-induced aggression, and more locomotor open-field activity than the control rats. There were no differences between the groups in male copulatory behavior, food and water intake, or thermoregulation. In comparison to the saline rats, 6-hydroxydopa rats showed elevated levels of endogenous NE in lower brainstem regions, e.g., midbrain and pons-medulla, as well as cerebellum. Hypothalamic NE level was not affected. Significant depletions of NE were obtained in the hippocampus and neocortex.
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D003307:Copulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D006892:Hydroxydopamines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines; D006892:Hydroxydopamines