Prepulse inhibition in fawn-hooded rats: increased sensitivity to 5-HT1A receptor stimulation.
Prepulse inhibition of startle is a model of sensorimotor gating, which is disrupted in alcoholism, as well as mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. The fawn-hooded (FH) rat strain has been used as an animal model of alcoholism. FH rats showed significantly lower startle amplitude than Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats and Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Increasing doses of the 5-HT(1A) receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT caused disruption of PPI, with the effect being significantly greater in FH rats compared to WKY rats. In all strains, treatment with 0.5 mg/kg of 8-OH-DPAT significantly reduced PPI. In contrast, 0.1 mg/kg of 8-OH-DPAT caused disruption only in the FH strain. Treatment with amphetamine, apomorphine and MK-801 also significantly reduced PPI, however, there was no difference between the strains. This study shows increased sensitivity of FH rats to the disruption of PPI caused by 5-HT(1A) receptor stimulation, suggesting a link between 5-HT(1A) receptors, sensorimotor gating and aspects of the FH rat phenotype.
Martin
Sally
S
Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Mental Health Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.
Lawrence
Andrew J
AJ
van den Buuse
Maarten
M
D017371:8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin / Q000494:pharmacology; D000661:Amphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001058:Apomorphine / Q000494:pharmacology; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate / Q000494:pharmacology; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D044282:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1A / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D013045:Species Specificity
D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists; D044282:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1A; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate; D017371:8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin; D000661:Amphetamine; D001058:Apomorphine