Behavioral effects of irreversible dopamine receptor inactivation in the preweanling rat: assessment of the receptor reserve hypothesis

Author

Suzanne L. Reid, California State University, San Bernardino
Sanders A. MacDougall, California State University, San Bernardino

Periodical Title

Modern Psychological Studies

Volume

2

Number

2

Page Numbers

pages 1-8

Department

Dept. of Psychology

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Date

1994

Abstract

EEDQ is an irreversible receptor antagonist that eliminates the dopamine (DA) mediated behaviors of adults rats. In contrast, EEDQ does not seem to affect the DA mediated behaviors of preweanling rat pups. One explanation for this age dependent difference is that rat pups may have a DA receptor reserve, not available to adults, which is sufficient to mediate behavior. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to determine whether a Di and D2 receptor reserve exists in preweanling rats. A total of 96, 17-dayold rat pups were injected with EEDQ (7.5 mg/kg) or its vehicle immediately after being trained to approach an anesthetized dam on a straight alley for nipple attachment reward. After 18 hours rat pups were then injected with saline, the D1 agonist SCH 23390 (0.5 mg1kg), or the D2 agonist sulpiride (50 mg/kg). A final testing session occurred 30 min later. This session consisted of an additional 28 trials on the straight alley, in which responding resulted in either reinforcement or extinction. Results of this experiment indicated that EEDQ and SCH 23390 combined to maximally disrupt the extinction responding of the rat pups. Unexpectedly, EEDQ did not potentiate sulpiride's effects. In general, these results indicate that preweanling rat pups do not have a DI or D2 receptor reserve, but age-dependent differences in DA receptor functioning were apparent.

Subject

Psychology

Discipline

Psychology

Document Type

article

DCMI Type

Text

Extent

8 leaves

Language

English

Call Number

BF1 .M63 v. 2 no. 2 1994

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Recommended Citation

Reid, Suzanne L. and MacDougall, Sanders A. (1994) "Behavioral effects of irreversible dopamine receptor inactivation in the preweanling rat: assessment of the receptor reserve hypothesis," Modern Psychological Studies: Vol. 2: No. 2, Article 2.
Available at: https://scholar.utc.edu/mps/vol2/iss2/2