Effects of salbutamol upon performance on an operant screen for antidepressants.
The beta adrenergic (beta) agonist salbutamol increased reinforcement rates and decreased response rates on a differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate (DRL) 72-S schedule. These changes in DRL 72-S schedule performance are also produced by most clinically used antidepressants. The effects of salbutamol on a DRL 72-S schedule were dose-dependently antagonized by the beta antagonist metoprolol, but not changed by the 5HT antagonist methysergide. Additionally, neither salbutamol nor the antagonism of salbutamol by metoprolol caused disruption of DRL 72-S schedule performance. These results indicate that stimulation of beta receptors, and not of 5HT receptors, mediates salbutamol antidepressant-like effects on a DRL 72-S schedule.
Dunn
R T
RT
University of Chicago, Department of Pharmacological and Physiological Sciences, IL 60637.
Richards
J B
JB
Seiden
L S
LS
D000420:Albuterol / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects*; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D008297:Male; D008784:Methysergide / Q000494:pharmacology; D008790:Metoprolol / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D008790:Metoprolol; D000420:Albuterol; D008784:Methysergide