A study of the role of noradrenaline in behavioral changes produced in the rat by psychotomimetic drugs.
1. LSD-25, psilocybin and JB-329 reduced the noradrenaline content of the rat hypothalamus.2. All three drugs affected the acquisition of a conditioned avoidance response, LSD-25 and psilocybin retarding and JB-329 enhancing the acquisition. With the exception of JB-329, doses affecting the acquisition of a conditioned avoidance response were lower than those required to decide hypothalamic noradrenaline concentrations. The time of peak drug effect on the acquisition of a conditioned avoidance response occurred approximately 1.5 hr after injection as opposed to 3 hr in the case of noradrenaline content.3. The amount of LSD-25, psilocybin and JB-329 necessary to elicit gross behavioural excitation was similar to the dose producing noradrenaline depletion. Here also the peak behavioural effect was detected earlier.4. Pretreatment with reserpine and alpha-MT had no effect on the intensity of gross behavioural excitation induced by LSD-25 and psilocybin but shortened the duration of the response. The excitation induced by JB-329 was abolished by reserpine pretreatment and was markedly reduced both in intensity and duration by the prior injection of alpha-MT.
D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects; D006213:Hallucinogens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000032:analysis; D008238:Lysergic Acid Diethylamide / Q000494:pharmacology; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D011562:Psilocybin / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical
D006213:Hallucinogens; D011562:Psilocybin; D008238:Lysergic Acid Diethylamide; D009638:Norepinephrine