Activation of Serotonergic Neurotransmission During the Performance of Aggressive Behavior in Rats

High aggression is often linked to lowered serotonin (5-HT) neurotransmission. Although this may hold for high aggression as a trait characteristic of an individual, serotonergic activity is probably increased during performance of aggressive behavior. To test this hypothesis, first, the 5-HT 1A ago...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Behavioral neuroscience 2003-08, Vol.117 (4), p.667-674
Main Authors: Vegt, Bea J. van der, Lieuwes, Natasja, van de Wall, Esther H. E. M, Kato, Katsunori, Moya-Albiol, Luis, Martínez-Sanchis, Sonia, de Boer, Sietse F, Koolhaas, Jaap M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aggression - physiology
Aggressiveness
Animal
Animal Aggressive Behavior
Animal behavior
Animals
Behavioral psychophysiology
Biological and medical sciences
Chemicals
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
GABA Agonists - pharmacology
Male
Muscimol
Muscimol - pharmacology
Neurology
Neurons
Neurons - physiology
Neurotransmission
Neurotransmission and behavior
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Raphe Nuclei
Rats
Rodents
Serotonin
Serotonin - metabolism
Serotonin - pharmacology
Serotonin Agonists
Serotonin Receptor Agonists - pharmacology
Spiro Compounds - pharmacology
Synaptic Transmission - physiology
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Summary:High aggression is often linked to lowered serotonin (5-HT) neurotransmission. Although this may hold for high aggression as a trait characteristic of an individual, serotonergic activity is probably increased during performance of aggressive behavior. To test this hypothesis, first, the 5-HT 1A agonist alnespirone and gamma aminobutyric acid-A agonist muscimol were administered into the dorsal raphe nucleus. These treatments, which inhibit 5-HT neuronal activity, were shown to decrease performance of aggressive behavior. Second, after a resident-intruder test, the activation of 5-HT neurons (measured by c-fos expression) was increased in high-aggressive rats, compared with low-aggressive rats or control rats that were not subjected to a social confrontation. Results show that performance of aggressive behavior increases 5-HT neuronal activity and that preventing this activation inhibits expression of aggressive behavior.
ISSN:0735-7044
1939-0084
DOI:10.1037/0735-7044.117.4.667