title: Elicitation of intraspecific defence reactions in the rat from midbrain periaqueductal grey by microinjection of kainic acid, without neurotoxic effects.
abstract: Microinjection of 40 pmol of the neuroexcitotoxin, kainic acid (KA) in the midbrain periaqueductal grey region (PAG) evoked a significant increase in both defensive and immobile behaviours in rats tested in a social situation. The evoked reactions appeared identical to the rat's natural defensive reaction to attack by a conspecific, although they were evoked by the presence, rather than the attack, of another rat. The long duration and natural appearance of the KA-evoked reactions stand in contrast to the short, 'explosive' reactions evoked by injection in the PAG of other excitant amino acids. There was no behavioural evidence of a diminution in the effect of repeated injections of KA in the PAG, nor was there any histological evidence of neurotoxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, University of Sydney, N.S.W., Australia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bandler
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Depaulis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008845:Microinjections; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology; D010487:Periaqueductal Gray / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D009498:Neurotoxins; D007608:Kainic Acid