Competition for sucrose-pellets in triads of male Wistar rats: effects of three serotonergic drugs.
1. Within triads of rats, individuals can be discerned according to their competition for sucrose-pellets as a high-, a medium- and a poor-performing animal. 2. The competition-rates, expressed as scores, are affected by serotonergic drugs: upon inhibiting tryptophan-hydroxylase, the characteristic abstention of the poor-performing rats can temporarily be overcome; quipazine, on the other hand, leads to a dose-dependent decrease in the competition-rate of high-performing rats. 3. Such findings are indicative for a regulatory effect of some serotonergic mechanisms on a competition-behavior evoked within the familiar social context.
Gentsch
C
C
Psychiatric University Clinic, Basle, Switzerland.
Lichtsteiner
M
M
Feer
H
H
D000818:Animals; D003163:Competitive Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D010134:Fenclonine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D011804:Quinolines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011814:Quipazine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012701:Serotonin / Q000502:physiology*; D013395:Sucrose; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology
D011804:Quinolines; D012701:Serotonin; C001244:6-fluorotryptophan; D011814:Quipazine; D013395:Sucrose; D014364:Tryptophan; D010134:Fenclonine