The effects of neurotensin, naloxone and haloperidol on elements of excessive grooming behavior induced by bombesin.
The influence of naloxone, haloperidol and neurotensin was investigated on bombesin-induced excessive grooming in rats. All three drugs reduced the amount of bombesin-induced grooming. Haloperidol induced a general reduction in excessive grooming as induced by bombesin, without changing the composition of grooming behavior, whereas naloxone and neurotensin suppressed bombesin-induced grooming and caused a shift in the distribution of grooming elements. The main suppressive effect of these latter drugs appeared to be on the element scratching. From these data it is suggested that bombesin-induced scratching is mainly displayed by activation of opiate receptor systems, whereas the other elements of bombesin-induced excessive grooming are mainly regulated by dopaminergic systems.
D000818:Animals; D001839:Bombesin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004347:Drug Interactions; D006120:Grooming / Q000187:drug effects*; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009270:Naloxone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009496:Neurotensin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D009270:Naloxone; D009496:Neurotensin; D006220:Haloperidol; D001839:Bombesin