Neurochemical basis of the dorsal bundle extinction effect

Injection of 6-hydroxydopamine into the mesencephalon of the rat has been found to cause resistance to extinction on continuously reinforced schedules. The neurochemical basis of this effect was investigated by using another concentration of 6-hydroxydopamine and by another position of injection. Severe depletion of forebrain noradrenaline was found after these injections with no change in dopamine, serotonin, cholinergic or GABAergic parameters in any brain area measured. The noradrenergic nature of the effect was further shown by the reversal fo the usual behavioural effect following pretreatment with a noradrenaline uptake inhibitor (desimipramine, 25 mg/kg 30 min prior to intracerebral injection of 6-hydroxydopamine). This rules out non-specific damage caused by the 6-hydroxydopamine as the neurochemical basis of the dorsal bundle extinction effect. Failure to find resistance to extinction after either kainic acid or 5-7 dihydroxytryptamine injection seems also to exclude respectively cell body loss at the injection site or damage to serotonergic systems. It is concluded that the dorsal bundle extinction effect is noradrenergic in nature.