DSP-4 treatment influences olfactory preferences of developing rats.
Control cagemates of rats treated with the norepinephrine (NE) neurotoxin DSP-4, showed normal olfactory learning as infants, but abnormal aversion to home-cage odors as juveniles. Neither age nor social housing conditions influenced the odor preferences of DSP-4-treated rats: they showed tolerance or attraction to familiar odors at both developmental stages. Controls, but not DSP-4-treated juveniles, housed in mixed treatment groups, showed elevated concentrations of a serotonin metabolite and reduced NE concentrations in the hippocampus, suggesting that this social situation was particularly stressful for the controls. DSP-4-treated juveniles, but not infants, produced odors that were discriminable from controls'. Thus, conflicting olfactory signals in the home-cages of mixed juvenile groups may have led to the development of stress in controls. NE depletion appeared to lessen social stress effects in their DSP-4-treated cagemates. These findings support other data suggesting that NE modulates the biobehavioral effects of the social environment.
Cornwell
C A
CA
Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, NY 13244-2340, USA.
Chang
J W
JW
Cole
B
B
Fukada
Y
Y
Gianulli
T
T
Rathbone
E A
EA
McFarlane
H
H
McGaugh
J L
JL
D018663:Adrenergic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000254:growth & development*; D001596:Benzylamines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D009830:Olfactory Bulb / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism
D018663:Adrenergic Agents; D001596:Benzylamines; D012701:Serotonin; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; C012102:DSP 4