title: Relative role of catecholamines in head-shaking of infant rats.
abstract: The relative contribution of catecholaminergic mechanisms in head-shaking (H-S) of infant rats was explored by comparing the H-S inducing effects of apomorphine and amphetamine in rats from 4-14 days old, and the blocking effect of neuroleptic drugs (chlorpromazine and haloperidol) and more specific alpha- and beta-adrenergic receptor antagonists (phenoxybenzamine and propranolol), on amphetamine induced head-shaking. As apomorphine, but not amphetamine, may induce H-S in four-day-old rats, and the latter drug potentiates apomorphine induced H-S, even in days in which, if injected alone it has no effect, it is suggested that both dopaminergic and noradrenergic mechanisms are involved in H-S, thus differentiating this motor item from other motor patterns included in stereotyped behaviour. This suggestion is further supported by the demonstration that while D-amphetamine induced H-S is blocked by phenoxybenzamine, other stereotyped motor patterns continue unimpaired.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000502:physiology; D001058:Apomorphine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001519:Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000502:physiology*; D002746:Chlorpromazine / Q000494:pharmacology; D003913:Dextroamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005260:Female; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010643:Phenoxybenzamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010830:Physostigmine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011433:Propranolol / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats / Q000502:physiology*; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines; D010643:Phenoxybenzamine; D010830:Physostigmine; D011433:Propranolol; D006220:Haloperidol; D001058:Apomorphine; D003913:Dextroamphetamine; D002746:Chlorpromazine