title: Cholinergic mechanisms in startle and prepulse inhibition: effects of the false cholinergic precursor N-aminodeanol.
abstract: We examined the effects of cholinergic deficiency on prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle. Rats treated with a choline-free diet that contained the false cholinergic precursor N-aminodeanol showed great deficit in PPI. This deficit does not appear to be secondary to an increase of stereotyped behaviors. Startle threshold was also greatly reduced, as these rats startled to the 70-dB prepulse and the baseline startle amplitude was increased by 60% over the control rats. Arecoline (4 mg/kg) partially reversed the deficit in PPI. This improvement persisted beyond the period of drug treatment. On the other hand, scopolamine (1 mg/kg) reduced PPI in the control rats. These results suggest that cholinergic systems play a major role in both the elicitation and prepulse inhibition of startle.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Sepulveda, California 91343.
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Jenden
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Fairchild
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Siegel
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000818:Animals; D001115:Arecoline / Q000494:pharmacology; D001143:Arousal / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects; D002794:Choline / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002799:Cholinergic Fibers / Q000187:drug effects*; D006120:Grooming / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000187:drug effects*; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000187:drug effects*; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000187:drug effects*; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; C038146:N-amino-N,N-dimethylaminoethanol; D001115:Arecoline; D012601:Scopolamine; D002794:Choline