title: 7-OH-DPAT effects on latent inhibition: low dose facilitation but high dose blockade: implications for dopamine receptor involvement in attentional processes.
abstract: 7-OH-DPAT is a dopamine D2/D3 agonist, which at low doses acts preferentially on D3 receptors but at high doses it acts on D2 and D3 receptors. The present study investigated the contribution of D3 and D2 receptors on latent inhibition (LI) by using two dose levels of 7-OH-DPAT: a low dose, 0.1 mg/kg (D3 receptor activation) and a high dose, 1.0 mg/kg, (D2/D3 receptor activation) in a conditioned emotional response (CER) paradigm. The LI Protocols included CS pre-exposure (10 or 40 CS alone trials), CER induction and a non-drug CER test phase. Additionally, the drug effects upon CER acquisition without LI were assessed using the same treatments and test environment pre-exposure protocols but without the tone CS. The effects of 7-OH-DPAT on crossing, rearing and grooming were also measured in an open field 1 day after the CER test phase. The results showed that the low dose 7-OH-DPAT treatment potentiated LI at 10 but not at 40 CS pre-exposures. The high dose 7-OH-DPAT treatment blocked LI at both the 10 and 40 stimulus pre-exposures; and it also induced hyperactivity. Thus, D3 stimulation induced by a low dose of 7-OH-DPAT can facilitate LI but these effects are contingent upon and are specific to the number of stimulus presentations. Altogether, these findings indicate that D3 stimulation can enhance attentional processes, but D2 stimulation can impair attentional processes.
authors.affiliation: Behavioral Pharmacology Group, Laboratory of Animal Health, State University of North Fluminense, Avenida Alberto Lamego, 2000, Campos dos Goytacazes, 28013-600, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ligia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chagas-Martinich
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Carey
authors.forename: Marinete Pinheiro
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Carrera
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2 / Q000819:agonists / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D050637:Receptors, Dopamine D3 / Q000819:agonists / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013764:Tetrahydronaphthalenes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; D050637:Receptors, Dopamine D3; D013764:Tetrahydronaphthalenes; C031349:7-hydroxy-2-N,N-dipropylaminotetralin