title: Role of dopaminergic system in reactivity to spatial and non-spatial changes in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  While experimental evidence shows that dopamine (DA) systems have an important role in locomotor function and in motivation, their role in the reactivity to spatial and non-spatial novelty is less well established.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this study, we investigated the effects of dopaminergic pharmacological manipulation on the capability of CD1 mice to encode spatial and non-spatial information in an open field with objects.
  
  
  METHODS
  The effects of systemic administration of: (1) selective D1 and D2 antagonists (SCH23390, 0.015 mg/kg or 0.020 mg/kg; sulpiride, 10 mg/kg or 20 mg/kg); (2) direct and indirect DA agonists (apomorphine, 1 mg/kg or 2 mg/kg; amphetamine, 1 mg/kg or 2 mg/kg) were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On the one hand, systemic administration of either D1 or D2 antagonists induced a selective impairment in the detection of spatial change but did not affect reaction to non-spatial novelty. On the other hand, amphetamine induced a selective decrease in exploratory activity in the first three sessions. This decrease did not affect the ability of mice to react to spatial change, but a dose-dependent decrease was observed in reactivity to non-spatial novelty. Such an effect does not seem to be due to amphetamine-induced hyperactivity or to non-DA mechanisms, since apomorphine induced a similar neophobic profile, without affecting locomotion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Taken together, these results demonstrate that manipulations of DA transmission affect reactivity to spatial and non-spatial novelty. In particular, we suggest that these two behavioral responses are modulated in opposite ways by the DA system.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Genetica e Biologia Molecolare, Università di Roma La Sapienza, Italy.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Adriani
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sargolini
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Coccurello
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oliverio
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mele
mesh_terms: D000661:Amphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001058:Apomorphine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001552:Benzazepines / Q000494:pharmacology; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D065127:Dopamine D2 Receptor Antagonists; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D017447:Receptors, Dopamine D1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000502:physiology; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2 / Q000502:physiology; D013037:Spatial Behavior / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013469:Sulpiride / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D001552:Benzazepines; D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists; D065127:Dopamine D2 Receptor Antagonists; D017447:Receptors, Dopamine D1; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; D013469:Sulpiride; D000661:Amphetamine; D001058:Apomorphine