Effects of selective adrenoceptor agonists and antagonists on aggressive behavior elicited by apomorphine, DL-dopa and fusaric acid in REM-sleep-deprived rats.
REM sleep deprivation (REMSD) results in behavioral changes such as the appearance of affective aggression induced by apomorphine (APO) and other dopaminergic agents. REMSD modifies dopamine-mediated behavior as well as the adrenergic receptor sensitivity. This paper evaluates the interaction between these two neurotransmission systems through changes in APO-, DL-DOPA- and fusaric acid (FA)-induced aggressive behavior in REMSD rats pretreated with phentolamine, propranolol, metaraminol, prazosin, clonidine, yohimbine, isoproterenol, butoxamine and maprotiline. Only isoproterenol reduced FA-induced aggressiveness. No specific changes in aggressiveness were noticed with other treatments and not even inhibitors of norepinephrine transmission induced aggressive behavior. It is concluded that norepinephrine had a slight inhibitory action on aggressiveness elicited by dopaminomimetic agents in REMSD rats. Beta-adrenoceptors could be responsible for this effect since only beta-selective drugs reduced aggression. As REMSD reduces beta-adrenoceptor sensitivity, only minor changes in aggressiveness could be observed. It was noted that the three drugs used to induce aggressive behavior elicited different patterns of aggression.
Troncone
L R
LR
Serviço de Farmacologia, Instituto Butantan, Paulo, Brasil.
Tufik
S
S
D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001058:Apomorphine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005669:Fusaric Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007545:Isoproterenol / Q000494:pharmacology; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000502:physiology; D010646:Phentolamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011433:Propranolol / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic / Q000187:drug effects*; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000502:physiology*; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013565:Sympatholytics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013566:Sympathomimetics / Q000494:pharmacology*
D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic; D013565:Sympatholytics; D013566:Sympathomimetics; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine; D011433:Propranolol; D005669:Fusaric Acid; D007545:Isoproterenol; D001058:Apomorphine; D009638:Norepinephrine; D010646:Phentolamine