title: Effects of amphetamine on pro-social ultrasonic communication in juvenile rats: Implications for mania models.
abstract: Communication is the act of information transfer between sender and receiver. In rats, vocal communication can be studied through ultrasonic vocalizations (USV). 50-kHz USV occur in appetitive situations, most notably juvenile play, likely expressing the sender׳s positive affective state. Such appetitive 50-kHz USV serve important pro-social communicative functions and elicit social exploratory and approach behavior in the receiver. Emission of 50-kHz USV can be induced pharmacologically by the administration of psychostimulant drugs, such as amphetamine. However, it is unknown whether amphetamine affects the pro-social communicative function of 50-kHz USV in the receiver. We therefore assessed dose-response effects of amphetamine (0.0mg/kg, 0.5mg/kg, 1.0mg/kg, 2.5mg/kg, 5.0mg/kg) on pro-social ultrasonic communication on both, sender and receiver, in juvenile rats. We found an inverted U-shaped effect of amphetamine on 50-kHz USV emission, with 50-kHz USV levels being strongly enhanced by moderate doses, yet less prominent effects were seen following the highest dose. Likewise, amphetamine exerted inverted U-shaped effects on social exploratory and approach behavior induced by playback of appetitive 50-kHz USV. Social approach was enhanced by moderate amphetamine doses, but completely abolished following the highest dose. Amphetamine further dose-dependently promoted the emission of 50-kHz USV following playback of appetitive 50-kHz USV, indicating more vigorous attempts to establish social proximity. Our results support an important role of dopamine in closing a perception-and-action-loop through linking mechanisms relevant for detection and production of social vocalizations. Moreover, our approach possibly provides a new means to study mania-like aberrant social interaction and communication in animal models for bipolar disorder.
authors.affiliation: Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology Philipps-University of Marburg, Gutenbergstr. 18, D-35032 Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: K-Alexander
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Engelhardt
authors.affiliation: German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Eberhard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.affiliation: Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology Philipps-University of Marburg, Gutenbergstr. 18, D-35032 Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Rainer K W
authors.initials: RKW
authors.lastname: Schwarting
authors.affiliation: Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology Philipps-University of Marburg, Gutenbergstr. 18, D-35032 Marburg, Germany. Electronic address: markus.woehr@staff.uni-marburg.de.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wöhr
mesh_terms: D000661:Amphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D006948:Hyperkinesis / Q000139:chemically induced; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014465:Ultrasonics / Q000379:methods*; D014828:Vocalization, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D000661:Amphetamine
keywords: Acoustic communication; Bipolar disorder; Dopamine; Playback; Social behavior; Ultrasonic vocalizations