Lateralization in male rats and dopaminergic system: evidence of right-side population bias.
Recent studies have reported population right-biased lateralization in rats, although with low percentages (between 54-59%). The present study investigated the spatial preference of rats in an electrified T-maze during successive days and the influence of ascending dopaminergic systems using apomorphine, a dopamine agonist, as well as ipsilateral and contralateral lesions on the side preference. Results showed a marked right-biased lateralization at both individual and population levels (85.71% of the rats presented a behavioral asymmetry, being 80% right-biased and 20% left-biased within the lateralized group). Also, the results suggest that there is a presynaptic dominance in the contralateral dopaminergic system to the spatial preference in the T-maze and postsynaptic dominance in the ipsilateral side.
Castellano
M A
MA
Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, University of La Laguna, Canary Islands, Spain.
Diaz-Palarea
M D
MD
Rodriguez
M
M
Barroso
J
J
D000818:Animals; D001058:Apomorphine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000502:physiology*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology*; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013037:Spatial Behavior; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000502:physiology*
D001058:Apomorphine; D004298:Dopamine