Ethopharmacological studies differentiate the effects of various serotonergic compounds on aggression in rats

Abstract

Mos, J., B. Olivier, and M.Th.M. Tulp: Ethopharmacological studies differentiate the effects of various serotonergic compounds on aggression in rats. Drug Dev. Res. 26:343-360. 1992.A series of experiments was performed to investigate the effects on aggression of various drugs affecting serotonergic transmission in rats. Using ethologically derived behavioural categories, the behaviour of treated animals was described. Drug effects were observed in two aggression models: resident-intruder aggression (RI) in male rats, and maternal aggression in lactating females during the postpartum period (MA). The 5-HT,, agonists, buspirone, ipsapirone, and 8-OH-DPAT, decreased aggression in RI and MA but simultaneously led to a marked decrease in social interest and activity, indicative of a nonspecific anti-aggressive profile. Nonselective 5-HT agonists, such as RU 24969, eltoprazine (DU 28853), and TFMPP, reduced aggression quite specifically and did not decrease social interest or exploration, but sometimes even increased these behaviours. In RI and MA, the behavioural effects of these drugs were roughly similar. By contrast, MA was more sensitive to the treatment with the 5-HT reuptake blocker fluvoxamine, which blocked RI aggression only nonspecifically at the highest dose. DOI, a 5-HT2 and 5-HT,c agonist, decreased aggressive behaviour and increased inactivity, without affecting social interest and exploration in RI as well as MA. This was, however, accompanied by "wet dog shaking," characteristic of 5-HT2-receptor stimulation. The nonspecific 5-HT agonist (and 5-HT3 antagonist) quipazine also induced "wet dog shaking" at doses that suppressed aggression,

Do similar neural systems subserve aggressive and sexual behaviour in male rats? Insights from c-Fos and pharmacological studies

“…This part of the study is based on published studies, mainly from work performed in the DeBoer/Koolhaas-Groningen lab on Wild-type Brown Norway rats and in the Olivier-Weesp/ Utrecht lab on Wistar and Tryon maze Dull-S3 (TMD-S3) rats. For extensive descriptions of methodology see de Boer et al (2000), Mos et al (1992), andOlivier (1981).…”

Aggression, anxiety and vocalizations in animals: GABAA and 5-HT anxiolytics

“…Several major families of serotonin receptors, each with several subtypes, are now recognized (Hoyer and Boddeke 1993;Hoyer et al 1994). While the molecular cloning of these receptors proceeds rapidly, understanding the functional significance of many of the newly identified receptor subtypes in different types of aggression and anxiety remains a challenge at present (Wilkinson and Dourish 1991;Mos et al 1992;Olivier et al 1992; Barrett and Vanover 1993).…”

Mean Genes

“…In tamine (5-HT) receptor subtypes 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B cats, stimulation of the medial hypothalamus usually have been termed "serenics" because of their antiagproduces affective attacks, while stimulation of the latgressive properties in several rodent models of aggreseral hypothalamus produces predation (Siegel and Pott, sive behavior, including male territorial aggression and 1988). These effects appear to be mediated by neurons aggression displayed by lactating females toward male innervating the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray matter intruders (Figure 1) (Olivier et al, 1989;Mos et al, 1992). in the case of affective aggression and the ventral teg-Pharmacological manipulations have, however, been mental area in the case of predation.…”

“…Transgenic mice overexpressing transforming growth modulators for aggressive behavior in humans (Bohman et al, 1988;Loehlin, 1989;Coccaro et al, 1993Coccaro et al, , 1994. factor ␣ (TGF␣) were also shown to be aggressive and to display low 5-HIAA levels (Hilakivi-Clarke et al, 1995).…”