title: Effects of disulfiram, phenoxybenzamine and propranolol on the behaviors evoked by apomorphine and amphetamine in adult cats.
abstract: The aim of this work was to study the role that the noradrenergic system could play in the mechanism of production of the behaviors evoked by parenteral injection of apomorphine and amphetamine in adult cats. Ten cats were injected s.c. with 2 mg/kg of apomorphine and 2.5 mg/kg of amphetamine in separate sessions. The behaviors were recorded, until control conditions were again attained. In a second stage, disulfiram was administered ip., followed by apomorphine and amphetamine in the same doses as cited above. The effects on behaviors produced by disulfiram and those of apomorphine and amphetamine were recorded by three independent observers. Comparisons of the pre- and post-disulfiram behavioral results were analyzed with the help of the non-parametric Wilcoxon signed rank test. In another group of ten cats a similar procedure was carried on employing the alpha and beta noradrenergic blocking agents, phenoxybenzamine and propranolol. The noradrenergic blocking drugs, especially disulfiram and phenoxybenzamine produced by themselves a decrease in motility, in alertness and an increase in indifference and inappetence. Apomorphine and amphetamine administered after the blocking drugs showed slight behavioural modifications, reflection most of them the changes produced by the three blocking drugs. It is concluded that probably the nor-adrenergic system could be involved in the hypomotility elicited by amphetamine. NA is not involved in the induction of the other behaviors evoked by apomorphine and amphetamine.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciencias Preclínicas Oriente, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Motles
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tetas
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gomez
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Briones
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
mesh_terms: D000661:Amphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001058:Apomorphine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D002415:Cats; D004221:Disulfiram / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005239:Fear / Q000187:drug effects; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009068:Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D010643:Phenoxybenzamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011433:Propranolol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011680:Pupil / Q000187:drug effects; D012903:Smell / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D010643:Phenoxybenzamine; D011433:Propranolol; D000661:Amphetamine; D001058:Apomorphine; D004221:Disulfiram