Effects of psychotropic drugs on conflict behavior in Mongolian gerbils

• Published in: Japanese Journal of Pharmacology 1988, Vol.46 (suppl), p.170-170
• Main Authors: Furusawa, Kenichi, Tadokoro, Sakutaro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0021-5198; 1347-3506
• DOI: 10.1016/S0021-5198(19)57352-8

Recently, Mongolian gerbils, which easily exhibit spontaneous epileptic seizures, have been used as the experimental animals in the field of behavioral pharmacology. But there is no study that report the effects of psychotropic drugs on conflict behavior in gerbils. In this study, we examined effects of diazepam (DZ, 0.5-4 mg/kg s.c.), pentobarbital (PB, 5-20 mg/kg s.c.), ethanol (EtOH, 0.8-3.2 g/kg s.c.) and morphine (MOR, 0.3-3 mg/kg s.c.) on conflict behavior under an operant situation in gerbils. Male gerbils had been food-deprived were trained to press a lever in an operant chamber under Mult. FR 20/FR 20-punishment schedule of food reinforcement. The alarm component was indicated by an about 800 Hz and 90 dB tone stimulus. In a 40 min experimental session, the safe and alarm components were alternated every 5 min. The punishment was an electric shock of 125-225 V, 0.5-1 mA, 50 Hz AC, and was given for 0.5 sec simultaneously with the food reinforcement during the alarm component. DZ (0.5, 1, 2 and 4 mg/kg), PB (10 and 20 mg/kg) and EtOH (1.6 and 2.4 g/kg) increased the response rates in the alarm component. The response rates in the safe component were increased after DZ (0.5 and 1 mg/kg) and PB (5 and 10 mg/kg), and were decreased after 4 mg/kg of DZ and 3.2 g/kg of EtOH. Morphine (0.3, 1 and 3 mg/kg) decreased the response rates in the safe and alarm components. The present results suggest that DZ, PB and EtOH but not MOR attenuate the conflict behavior in gerbils as previously demonstrated in rats and mice.