Hippocampal asymmetry in the behavioral responses to the 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT

• Published in: Brain research Vol. 640; no. 1; pp. 223 - 228
• Main Authors: Belcheva, Iren, Belcheva, Stiliana, Petkov, Vesselin V., Petkov, Vesselin D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier B.V 21.03.1994; Amsterdam Elsevier; New York, NY
• Subjects: 8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin - administration & dosage; 8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin - pharmacology; 8-OH-DPAT; Animals; Anti-Anxiety Agents - pharmacology; Anxiety; Anxiety - chemically induced; Anxiety - psychology; Asymmetry; Avoidance Learning - drug effects; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Conflict (Psychology); Exploratory Behavior - drug effects; Functional Laterality - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hippocampus; Hippocampus - physiology; Learning; Learning - drug effects; Locomotion; Male; Memory; Memory - drug effects; Motor Activity - drug effects; Neurotransmission and behavior; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Serotonin HT 1A receptor; Serotonin Receptor Agonists - pharmacology; Stereotaxic Techniques; Learning; Locomotion; Asymmetry; Serotonin HT 1A receptor; Memory; Anxiety; Hippocampus; 8-OH-DPAT; Agonist; Rat; Rodentia; Central nervous system; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Acquisition process; Animal; S1A receptor; Behavior; Brain (vertebrata)
• ISSN: 0006-8993; 1872-6240
• DOI: 10.1016/0006-8993(94)91876-7

The present study examined the behavioral responses of rats to unilateral and bilateral injections of the selective serotonin 1A (5-HT1A)-receptor agonist 8-hydroxydipropylaminotetralin hydrobromide (8-OH-DPAT) 1 μg into the hippocampal CA1 area of male Wistar rats. 8-OH-DPAT increased locomotor activity, which was most pronounced with injections into the left hippocampus. The agonist impaired learning and memory (shuttle-☐), especially when injected into the right hippocampus. The elevated plus-maze experiments showed that neither left nor right nor bilateral hippocampal injections of 8-OH-DPAT produced any anxiogenic effect. However, with Vogel's conflict test, right injections of 8-OH-DPAT produced anxiety. The present study has revealed hippocampal asymmetry in the behavioral responses to the 5-HT1A-receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT.