title: Capsaicin affects aggressive behavior, but not hot plate responding, of adult male mice.
abstract: Adult male mice of albino Swiss-derived CD-1 strain were used to assess the effects of capsaicin (a powerful agent that produces a marked depletion of the undecapeptide substance P) on both intraspecific aggressive behavior (induced by 8 weeks of individual housing) and pain sensitivity. Capsaicin was given SC, 48 h before behavioral testing. Aggressive behavior, scored during a 5-min session under red light, was significantly enhanced by capsaicin treatment (50 or 100 microliters of a 7.5 mg/ml solution). In fact, Total Aggressive Episodes, Attacks, and Upright Offensive Posture were significantly higher in the two capsaicin-treated groups, while Latency to the first Attack was decreased, when compared to both vehicle or unhandled controls. A concomitant decrease in Submissive Postures and Flee was also evident in capsaicin mice. Hot plate testing (55 +/- 0.1 degrees C, cutoff time 30 s), carried out on nonisolated mice, did not reveal any difference among the two capsaicin groups (same doses) and vehicle or unhandled controls.
authors.affiliation: Section of Behavioral Pathophysiology, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alleva
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aloe
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bigi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: De Acetis
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects*; D000378:Agonistic Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D001143:Arousal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D002211:Capsaicin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005239:Fear / Q000187:drug effects*; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000187:drug effects*; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000187:drug effects; D012931:Social Environment; D013697:Thermosensing / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D002211:Capsaicin