title: Effects of (RS)-3,4-DCPG, a mixed AMPA antagonist/mGluR8 agonist, on aggressive behavior in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ionotropic and metabotropic (mGlu) receptors of glutamate have been suggested to be involved in the modulation of aggression. Thus, recent studies found reduced aggression in AMPA-type glutamate receptor GluR-A subunit-deficient mice. Likewise, mGlu1 and 5 receptors have also been implicated in aggression regulation. (RS)-3,4-DCPG is a mixed antagonist of AMPA receptors and an agonist of mGluR8. The AMPA antagonist activity of this compound is determined by its R isomer while the S isomer is responsible for its mGluR8 agonistic properties.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the effects of (RS)-3,4-DCPG (5, 10 and 20mg/kg, ip) on agonistic encounters between male mice. Individually housed mice were exposed to anosmic opponents 30 min after drug administration. Ten min of dyadic interactions were staged between a singly housed and an anosmic mouse in a neutral area. The encounters were videotaped and the accumulated time allocated by subjects to 10 broad behavioral categories was estimated using an ethologically based analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicated that (RS)-3,4-DCPG produced no significant behavioral changes, suggesting that antagonism of AMPA receptors by the R isomer and stimulation of mGluR8 by the S isomer do not act synergistically on aggression in the racemic form of 3,4-DCPG.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, España. Electronic address: navahuma@uma.es.
authors.forename: José Francisco
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: de Castro
authors.forename: Mercedes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martín-López