Effect of 5-HT1B receptor agonists injected into the prefrontal cortex on maternal aggression in rats.
Serotonin (5-HT1B) receptors play an essential role in the inhibition of aggressive behavior in rodents. CP-94,253, a 5-HT1B receptor agonist, can reduce aggression in male mice when administered directly into the ventro-orbitofrontal (VO) prefrontal cortex (PFC). The objective of the current study was to assess the effects of two selective 5-HT1B receptor agonists (CP-94,253 and CP-93,129), microinjected into the VO PFC, on maternal aggressive behavior after social instigation in rats. CP-94,253 (0.56 microg/0.2 microL, N = 8, and 1.0 microg/0.2 microL, N = 8) or CP-93,129 (1.0 microg/0.2 microL, N = 9) was microinjected into the VO PFC of Wistar rats on the 9th day postpartum and 15 min thereafter the aggressive behavior by the resident female against a male intruder was recorded for 10 min. The frequency and duration of aggressive and non-aggressive behaviors were analyzed using ANOVA and post hoc tests. CP-93,129 significantly decreased maternal aggression. The frequency of lateral attacks, bites and pinnings was reduced compared to control, while the non-aggressive behaviors and maternal care were largely unaffected by this treatment. CP-94,253 had no significant effects on aggressive or non-aggressive behaviors when microinjected into the same area of female rats. CP-93,129, a specific 5-HT1B receptor agonist, administered into the VO PFC reduced maternal aggressive behavior, while the CP-94,253 agonist did not significantly affect this behavior after social instigation in female rats. We conclude that only the 5-HT1B receptor agonist CP-93,129 administered into the VO PFC decreased aggression in female rats postpartum after social instigation.
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Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
Miczek
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Lucion
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Almeida
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D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D008845:Microinjections; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects; D011725:Pyridines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D044302:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1B / Q000187:drug effects*; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology
C097067:CP 94253; D011725:Pyridines; D011758:Pyrroles; D044302:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1B; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists; C065046:3-(1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyrid-4-yl)pyrrolo(3,2-b)pyrid-5-one