Summary
5, 7-Dihydroxytryptamine (10 and 20μg) was microinjected bilaterally into the amygdaloid complex of rats and resulted in 55% and 80% depletion in 5-hydroxytryptamine concentration, respectively. The lesioned animals exhibited fewer dominance behaviours and submitted more often to an intruder into their home-cages than did the vehicle-injected controls. The lesioned rats were also more submissive than were the controls when they were intruding into another rat's territory. Only the higher dose of toxin altered social investigatory behaviour when this was measured in an arena in which neither rat had established territory. The lesioned rats displayed less social interaction and had reduced levels of motor activity. The results are compared with those of other studies in which there has been regional or general depletion of brain 5-hydroxytryptamine concentration.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Azmitia, E. C., Segal, M. An autoradiographic analysis of the differential ascending projections of the dorsal and median raphé nuclei in the rat. J. comp. Neurol.179, 641–668 (1978).
Bosmann, H. B., Case, K. R., DiStefano, P. Diazepam receptor characterization: Specific binding of a benzodiazepine to macromolecules in various areas of rat brain. FEBS Letters82, 368–372 (1977).
Cook, L., Sepinwall, J. Behavioral analysis of the effects and mechanisms of action of benzodiazepines. In: Mechanism of Action of Benzodiazepines, pp. 1–28. New York: Raven Press. 1975.
Curzon, G., Green, A. R. Rapid method for determination of 5-hydroxytryptamine and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in small regions of rat brain. Br. J. Pharmac.30, 653–655 (1970).
Endroczi, E., Lissak, K., Bohus, B., Kovacs, S. The inhibitory influence of archicortical structures on pituitary-adrenal function. Acta Physiol. Acad. Sci. Hung.16, 17–22 (1959).
Fernandez de Molina, A., Hunsperger, R. W. Central representation of affective reactions in forebrain and brain stem: Electrical stimulation of amygdala, stria terminalis, and adjacent structures. J. Physiol.145, 251–265 (1959).
Fernandez de Molina, A., Hunsperger, R. W. Organization of the subcortical system governing defence and flight reactions in the cat. J. Physiol.160, 200–213 (1962).
File, S. E. Anxiety, ACTH and 5-HT. Trends in Neuroscience1, 9–11 (1978).
File, S. E., Deakin, J. F. W. Chemical lesions of both dorsal and median raphé nuclei and changes in social and aggressive behaviour in rats. Pharmac. Biochem. Behav.12, 855–859 (1980).
File, S. E., Hyde, J. R. G. The effects of p-chlorophenylalanine and ethanol-amine-O-sulphate in an animal test of anxiety. J. Pharm. Pharmac.29, 735–738 (1977).
File, S. E., Hyde, J. R. G. Can social interaction be used to measure anxiety? Br. J. Pharmac.62, 19–24 (1978).
File, S. E., Hyde, J. R. G., Mac Leod, N. K. 5, 7-Dihydroxytryptamine lesions of dorsal and median raphé nuclei and performance in the social interaction test of anxiety and in a home-cage aggression test. J. Affect Dis.1, 115–122 (1979).
File, S. E., Rodgers, R. J. Partial anxiolytic action of morphine sulphate following microinjection into the central nucleus of the amygdala in rats. Pharmac. Biochem. Behav.11, 313–318 (1979).
File, S. E., Vellucci, S. V. Studies on the role of ACTH and of 5-HT in anxiety, using an animal model. J. Pharm. Pharmac.30, 105–110 (1978).
Gallagher, M., Kapp, B. S. Manipulation of opiate activity in the amygdala alters memory processes. Life Sci.23, 1973–1978 (1978).
Gastaut, H., Vigouroux, R., Corriol, J., Badier, M. Effets de la stimulation électrique (par électrodes à demeure) du complexe amygdalien chez le chat non-narcose. J. Physiol.43, 740–746 (1951).
Geller, I., Blum, K. The effects of 5-HT on p-chlorophenylalanine (pCPA) attenuation of “conflict” behaviour. Eur. J. Pharmac.9, 319–324 (1970).
Haefely, W. E. Behavioral and neuropharmacological aspects of drugs used in anxiety and related studies. In: Psychopharmacology: A Generation of Progress (Lipton, M. A., DiMascio, A., Killam, K. F., eds.), pp. 1359 to 1374. New York: Raven Press. 1978.
Jacobs, B. L., Simon, S. M., Ruimy, D. D., Trulson, M. E. A quantitative rotational model for studying serotonergic function in the rat. Brain Res.124, 271–281 (1977).
James, T. A., Mac Leod, N. K., Mayer, M. L. A functional antagonism between benzodiazepines and ACTH? Br. J. Pharmac.66, 115–116P (1979).
Kapp, B. S., Frysinger, R. C., Gallagher, M., Haselton, J. R. Amygdala central nucleus lesions: effect on heart rate conditioning in the rabbit. Physiol. Behav.23, 1109–1117 (1979).
Knigge, K. H. Adrenocortical response to stress in rats with lesions in hippocampus and amygdala. Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med.108, 18–21 (1961).
König, J. F. R., Klippel, R. A. The Rat Brain. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins. 1963.
Lidbrink, P., Corrodi, H., Fuxe, K., Olson, L. The effects of benzodiazepines, meprobamate, and barbiturates on central monoamine neurons. In: The Benzodiazepines (Garattini, S., Mussini, E., Randall, L. O., eds.), pp. 203–223. New York: Raven Press. 1973.
Mohler, H., Okada, T. The benzodiazepine receptor in normal and pathological human brain. Br. J. Psychiat.133, 261–268 (1978).
Nagy, J., Zambo, K., Decsi, L. Anti-anxiety action of diazepam after intra-amygdaloid application in the rat. Neuropharmacology18, 573 to 576 (1979).
Pratt, J., Jenner, P., Reynolds, E. H., Marsden, C. D. Clonazepam induces decreased serotoninergic activity in the mouse brain. Neuropharmacology18, 791–799 (1979).
Robichaud, R. C., Sledge, K. L. The effects of p-chlorophenylalanine on experimentally induced conflict in the rat. Life Sci.8, 965–969 (1969).
Rosvold, H. E., Mirsky, A. F., Pribram, K. H. Influence of amygdalectomy on social behaviour in monkeys. J. comp. physiol. Psychol.47, 173–178 (1954).
Stein, L., Wise, C. D., Berger, B. D. Antianxiety action of benzodiazepines: Decrease in activity of serotonin neurons in the punishment system. In: The Benzodiazepines (Garattini, S., Mussini, E., Randall, L. O., eds.), pp. 299–326. New York: Raven Press. 1973.
Tye, N. C., Everitt, B. J., Iversen, S. D. 5-Hydroxytryptamine and punishment. Nature268, 741–743 (1977).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
File, S.E., James, T.A. & MacLeod, N.K. Depletion in amygdaloid 5-hydroxytryptamine concentration and changes in social and aggressive behaviour. J. Neural Transmission 50, 1–12 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01254909
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01254909