Inhibiting effect of D1, but not D2 antagonist administered to the striatum on retention of passive avoidance in the chick

• Published in: Neurobiology of learning and memory Vol. 81; no. 2; pp. 155 - 158
• Main Authors: Kabai, Peter, Stewart, Michael G., Tarcali, József, Csillag, András
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01.03.2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal; Animals; Avian brain; Avoidance Learning - drug effects; Avoidance training; Behavioral psychophysiology; Benzazepines - administration & dosage; Benzazepines - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; Bird; Chickens; Corpus Striatum - drug effects; Domestic chick; Dopamine; Dopamine Antagonists - administration & dosage; Dopamine Antagonists - pharmacology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Learning; Learning. Memory; Memory; Neurotransmission and behavior; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Receptors, Dopamine D1 - antagonists & inhibitors; Receptors, Dopamine D2 - drug effects; Retention (Psychology) - drug effects; Striatum; Sulpiride - administration & dosage; Sulpiride - pharmacology; Taste aversion; Domestic chick; Learning; Striatum; Dopamine; Bird; Avian brain; Memory; Taste aversion; Avoidance training; Central nervous system; D1 Dopamine receptor; Basal ganglion; Corpus striatum; Experimental study; Retention; Encephalon; Alimentary aversion; Vertebrata; Acquisition process; D2 Dopamine receptor; Animal; Chicken; Antagonist; Inhibition; Aves
• ISSN: 1074-7427; 1095-9564
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2003.12.002

The avian lobus parolfactorius, equivalent to the medial striatum (caudate-putamen) of mammals, has been shown to be of crucial importance in passive avoidance training in day-old domestic chicks, where the aversive stimulus is the bitter tasting substance methylanthranilate. Here we report that the specific D1 antagonist SCH23390, injected into the lobus parolfactorius of day-old chicks (Gallus domesticus) prior to training, impaired performance on testing 30 min post-training at low doses (0.5 and 25 nmol). Sulpiride, a D2 antagonist, had no significant effect on performance in comparable doses. The early D1 activation may signify an essential mechanism leading to storage itself or to the canalisation of the relevant association to a permanent store.