Dopamine receptor antagonists attenuate conditioned place preference following sexual behavior in female Syrian hamsters

• Published in: European journal of pharmacology Vol. 309; no. 1; pp. 21 - 24
• Main Authors: Meisel, Robert L., Joppa, Margaret A., Rowe, Richard K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.08.1996; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Conditioned place preference; Conditioning (Psychology) - drug effects; Cricetinae; Dopamine; Dopamine Antagonists - pharmacology; Dopamine D 2 receptor; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Lordosis; Mesocricetus auratus; Neurotransmission and behavior; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Raclopride; Salicylamides - pharmacology; Sexual Behavior, Animal - drug effects; Sulpiride; Sulpiride - pharmacology; Lordosis; Raclopride; Dopamine; Conditioned place preference; Sulpiride; Dopamine D 2 receptor; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Acquisition process; D2 Dopamine receptor; Animal; Rodentia; Sexual behavior; Reinforcement; Female; Classical conditioning; Hamster
• ISSN: 0014-2999; 1879-0712
• DOI: 10.1016/0014-2999(96)00389-5

We assessed the effects of the dopamine D 2 receptor antagonists, sulpiride and raclopride, on conditioned place preference produced by sexual behavior in female Syrian hamsters. Female hamsters treated with sulpiride or raclopride showed high levels of sexual behavior (lordosis) that were equivalent to control females receiving vehicle injections. The degree of place preference conditioning for sulpiride-treated females was marginally reduced, whereas females treated with raclopride showed no evidence of conditioning. These results indicate that conditioned place preference is a useful means for probing the appetitive components of female sexual behavior, and that dopamine D 2 receptors are involved in this appetitive process.