Locomotor activity and stereotypy in rats following repeated apomorphine treatments at 1-, 3-, or 7-day intervals

In two experiments, the effects of repeated intermittent administration of a relatively high dose of apomorphine (5 mg/kg) on locomotor activity and/or stereotypic behavior in rats was determined. In Experiment 1, male rats were given ten subcutaneous (SC) injections of apomorphine or vehicle and tested for locomotor activity and stereotypy. The first nine injection test sessions were given at 3-day intervals and the tenth injection test session was given 18 days following the ninth session. In Experiment 2, male rats were tested for locomotor activity following ten SC injections of apomorphine or vehicle with either a one- or seven-day interval between injections. Major findings were as follows: a) apomorphine produced progressively greater increases in locomotor activity with each succeeding injection (i.e., sensitization); b) sensitization to the locomotor activity stimulating effects of apomorphine developed with interinjection intervals of one, three, and seven days; c) the sensitization effect was maintained over the 18-day drug-free break; and d) the effect of apomorphine on stereotypic behavior did not significantly change with repeated injections. These findings indicate that even a single dose of apomorphine induces relatively long-lasting neurobiological changes. Moreover, these findings are consistent with the view that separate neural pathways mediate locomotor activity and stereotypy in rats.