Involvement of central GABAergic receptors in the control over offensive and defensive behaviours in the rat.
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Aggression↗
Biomedical subjects
A Depaulis
Publications and source records attributed to A Depaulis.
[A genetic form of petit mal absence in Wistar rats].
One-third of the Wistar rats bred in the Centre of Neurochemistry in Strasbourg, France, develop spontaneous epileptic seizures which from their clinical manifestations, pharmacological responses, and electroencephalographic findings are suggestive of Petit Mal absences. These fits are genetically determined since in two lines selected from affected animals they occurred in 90 p. cent of three generations. The selection of a pure strain should assist in the use of this pharmacologic and neurophysiologic model of Petit Mal epilepsy.
Animals↗
Induction of mouse-killing in the rat by intraventricular injection of a GABA-agonist.
Intracerebroventricular injections of THIP (2.5 and 5.0 micrograms in 5 microliter) facilitated elicitation of mouse-killing in killer rats placed in a non-familiar environment. The same doses induced well organized mouse-killing responses in 60% of non-killer rats. Concomitantly food intake was elicited. Exploratory activity as well as orientation and approach towards any sensory stimulus were also increased. On the contrary, intracerebroventricular injections of bicuculline methiodide (65 and 125 ng in 5 microliters) suppressed aggressive responses in killer rats. The data support the view that GABA receptors are involved in mechanisms which facilitate elicitation of mouse-killing behaviour as well as other positively motivated responses.
Aggression↗
A microcomputer method for behavioral data acquisition and subsequent analysis.
Using a microcomputer (TRS80, Model III), a modular procedure is described which allows rapid manual encoding of visually-observed behavioural units (module 1); processing of the data (e.g., calculation of frequency, duration, latency, sequence analysis) (module 2) and statistical analysis (module 3). This method can be used in several behavioural tasks and provides the possibility of various subsequent analysis without re-encoding or transcribing the initial data.
Animals↗
Spontaneous paroxysmal electroclinical patterns in rat: a model of generalized non-convulsive epilepsy.
During quiet wakefulness of 63 adult Wistar rats, 24 exhibited synchronous paroxysmal bursts consisting of spikes and spike and wave discharges, recorded in the amygdala and frontoparietal cortex. Discharges were associated with a sudden immobility of the rat and rhythmic twitches of vibrissae or cervicofacial musculature. As soon as the phenomena stopped, the animal resumed its previous behavior. Paroxysmal electroclinical attacks could be observed as long as the animal survived. Similar electrical discharges have been observed previously in rodents by other authors and interpreted as an epileptic phenomenon. Preliminary pharmacological results confirm this interpretation and emphasize the similarity between our findings and the human petit mal epilepsy.
Animals↗
GABAergic influences on defensive fighting in rats.
The involvement of GABAergic mechanisms in shock-induced defensive fighting in rats was investigated in a series of three experiments. In Experiment 1, sodium n-dipropylacetate (100-200 mg/kg) failed to produce significant behavioural change whilst gamma-vinyl-GABA (100-200 mg/kg) induced a selective and dose-dependent reduction in fighting. In Experiment 2, although inconsistent behavioural effects were obtained with (+)-bicuculline (0.25-4 mg/kg), a biphasic influence on defensive fighting was observed with picrotoxin (0.125-2 mg/kg). The inhibitory effect on fighting, induced by the highest dose of picrotoxin, was related to motor impairment. In Experiment 3, muscimol reduced fighting at doses above 0.25 mg/kg with motor disruption evident only at the highest dose used (1 mg/kg). A dose-dependent inhibition of defensive fighting was observed with 1-baclofen (0.15-1.2 mg/kg) which, at the highest dose tested, also impaired motor coordination. None of the compounds tested significantly altered shock thresholds. Results are discussed in relation to the hypothesized inhibitory role of GABA in the mediation of aggressive behaviours.
Aggression↗
Interhemispheric desynchronization of spontaneous spike-wave discharges by corpus callosum transection in rats with petit mal-like epilepsy.
Wistar rats of a strain inbred for spontaneous generalized non-convulsive seizures present EEG spike-wave discharges (SWDs), 7-10 c/sec, occurring about once/min and lasting about 15 sec. They are bilateral and synchronous and can be recorded over the entire neocortex and in the lateral thalamic nuclei. After corpus callosum section, only a few bilateral SWDs persisted. Asymmetrical SWDs were most often recorded: bilateral SWDs starting asynchronously, or unilateral SWDs, which were also seen to alternate abruptly between hemispheres. The thalamic SWDs were always synchronized with the ipsilateral cortical pattern. These findings suggest that while the corpus callosum has a major role in bilateral synchronization of SWD in this model of epilepsy, occasional synchronization may still occur through other pathways after callosal transection.
Animals↗