title: Neuromedin-induced excessive grooming/scratching behavior is suppressed by naloxone, neurotensin and a dopamine D1 receptor antagonist.
abstract: Neuromedin B and neuromedin C were tested for their grooming/scratching-inducing effects and the composition of neuromedin-induced grooming was established by calculating the relative contribution of various grooming elements to the total grooming scores. Excessive grooming induced by neuromedins is characterized by a predominant display of scratching. Since neuromedin C is much more potent than neuromedin B to induce excessive grooming/scratching behavior, it is concluded that the carboxyl-terminal heptapeptide of neuromedin C is important for this effect. Furthermore, it is concluded that dopamine D1 receptors and opiate receptors are involved in this effect since the dopamine D1 receptor antagonist, SCH 23390, as well as the opiate receptor antagonist, naloxone, suppresses or attenuates neuromedin C-induced excessive grooming/scratching behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Rudolf Magnus Institute, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: T B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Van Wimersma Greidanus
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maigret
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001552:Benzazepines / Q000494:pharmacology; D001839:Bombesin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists; D006120:Grooming / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009270:Naloxone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015287:Neurokinin B / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D009496:Neurotensin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D001552:Benzazepines; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D009270:Naloxone; D009496:Neurotensin; C040794:neuromedin C; D015287:Neurokinin B; C038393:neuromedin B; D001839:Bombesin