title: Dopamine autoreceptor agonists attenuate spontaneous motor activity but not spontaneous fighting in individually-housed mice.
abstract: The present study was conducted to determine whether or not two behavioral characteristics of individually-housed mice, hyperactivity in a novel environment and intermale fighting, are attenuated by the dopamine (DA) agonists, apomorphine, (+)- and (-)-3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-N-n-propylpiperidine (3-PPP). Autoreceptor-activating doses of these drugs which reduced spontaneous activity in a novel environment did not inhibit spontaneous fighting with conspecific olfactory bulbectomized males. Individually-housed mice were more active in a novel environment and showed a significant reduction of activity at lower doses of apomorphine, (+)- and (-)-3-PPP than group-housed mice. However, the ED50's for the inhibition of spontaneous activity in a novel environment in group- and individually-housed mice were similar: apomorphine, 0.02 vs. 0.012 mg/kg, SC; (+)-3-PPP, 0.50 vs. 0.51 mg/kg, SC; and (-)-3-PPP, 1.0 vs. 0.56 mg/kg, SC, for group- and individually-housed mice respectively. A significant proportion of individually-housed mice, but not group-housed mice, displayed catalepsy in response to high doses of (-)-3-PPP. These data suggest that DA autoreceptor agonists can modulate the hyperactivity syndrome but not spontaneous fighting behavior in individually-housed mice.
authors.affiliation: Rutgers, State University, Department of Pharmacology, Piscataway, NJ 08854.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Wilmot
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Fico
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vanderwende
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Spoerlein
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression; D000378:Agonistic Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D001058:Apomorphine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002375:Catalepsy / Q000139:chemically induced; D015259:Dopamine Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006799:Housing, Animal; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D010880:Piperidines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012934:Social Isolation; D013237:Stereoisomerism
chemical_list: D015259:Dopamine Agents; D010880:Piperidines; C026539:preclamol; D001058:Apomorphine