title: Activation of serotonergic neurotransmission during the performance of aggressive behavior in rats.
abstract: High aggression is often linked to lowered serotonin (5-HT) neurotransmission. Although this may hold for high aggression as a trait characteristic of an individual, serotonergic activity is probably increased during performance of aggressive behavior. To test this hypothesis, first, the 5-HT1A agonist alnespirone and gamma aminobutyric acid-A agonist muscimol were administered into the dorsal raphe nucleus. These treatments, which inhibit 5-HT neuronal activity, were shown to decrease performance of aggressive behavior. Second, after a resident-intruder test, the activation of 5-HT neurons (measured by c-fos expression) was increased in high-aggressive rats, compared with low-aggressive rats or control rats that were not subjected to a social confrontation. Results show that performance of aggressive behavior increases 5-HT neuronal activity and that preventing this activation inhibits expression of aggressive behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Physiology, University of Groningen, Biological Centre, Haren, The Netherlands. b.j.van.der.vegt@biol.rug.nl
authors.forename: Bea J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: van der Vegt
authors.forename: Natasja
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lieuwes
authors.forename: Esther H E M
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: van de Wall
authors.forename: Katsunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Moya-Albiol
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martínez-Sanchis
authors.forename: Sietse F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: de Boer
authors.forename: Jaap M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Koolhaas
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D018755:GABA Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009118:Muscimol / Q000494:pharmacology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D013141:Spiro Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018755:GABA Agonists; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists; D013141:Spiro Compounds; D009118:Muscimol; D012701:Serotonin; C075319:alnespirone