Behavioral changes following central injection of cysteamine in rats

When tested 3 days following 4 daily intracerebroventricular injections of 250 micrograms cysteamine, which depletes somatostatin, rats demonstrated a significant increase in locomotor activity that was not observed in animals treated similarly with 350 micrograms cysteamine. A significant deficit in passive avoidance was observed in animals treated with the 350-micrograms dose, but not in animals treated with 250 micrograms cysteamine. These data suggest that altered activity of the somatostatinergic system disrupts specific processes underlying neural integration of complex behaviors.