Contralateral circling behaviour induced by intranigral injection of taurine in rats.
A study was made of the effect of unilateral injection of taurine into the substantia nigra on the behaviour of rats. Taurine (10-200 micrograms) induced a dose-dependent contralateral circling behaviour. The maximum intensity of circling after doses of 100-200 micrograms of taurine was reached within 10 min. and the circling lasted for about 4-5 hrs. There was neither ipsilateral circling nor stereotyped behaviour. Intranigral injection of isethionic acid, a metabolite of taurine, induced weak ipsilateral circling of short duration. Pretreatment with bicuculline (3 mg/kg intraperitoneally) or strychnine (0.25 mg/kg intraperitoneally) significantly inhibited the taurine-induced circling. A dose of 1 mg/kg but not of 0.5 mg/kg of haloperidol (subcutaneously) significantly decreased the intensity of the taurine-induced circling. Pretreatment with atropine (10 mg/kg intraperitoneally) had no significant effect on the circling behaviour. Besides the dopaminergic nigrostriatal pathway, the nondopaminergic nigral output pathways also seem to be involved in the taurine-induced circling behaviour. The results show that taurine may play some role in the function of the substantia nigra.
D000818:Animals; D001285:Atropine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001640:Bicuculline / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005260:Female; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000494:pharmacology; D007513:Isethionic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D008845:Microinjections; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D013331:Strychnine / Q000494:pharmacology; D013378:Substantia Nigra; D013654:Taurine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*
D013654:Taurine; D001285:Atropine; D007513:Isethionic Acid; D013331:Strychnine; D006220:Haloperidol; D001640:Bicuculline