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Yohimbine-induced stimulus control in the rat
Archives Internationales De Pharmacodynamie Et De Therapie
|September 1, 1978
Summary
Yohimbine hydrochloride (3 mg/kg) served as a discriminative stimulus in rats, guiding lever selection. Other drugs produced intermediate effects, and tested antagonists did not block yohimbine
Area of Science:
- Behavioral pharmacology
- Neuroscience
- Psychopharmacology
Background:
- Operant conditioning chambers are used to study drug effects on behavior.
- Discriminative stimulus properties of drugs are crucial for understanding their central nervous system actions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the discriminative stimulus properties of yohimbine hydrochloride in rats.
- To investigate the effects of other psychoactive drugs and potential antagonists on yohimbine-induced stimulus control.
Main Methods:
- Rats were trained to discriminate between yohimbine hydrochloride and saline injections using a two-lever operant task.
- Response distribution between levers served as an index of stimulus control.
- Cross-substitution tests were performed with d-amphetamine, harmaline, and LSD.
- Potential antagonists (BC-105, phentolamine, butaclamol) were tested for antagonism of yohimbine's effects.
Main Results:
- Rats achieved criterion performance in discriminating yohimbine from saline.
- d-amphetamine, harmaline, and LSD produced intermediate response patterns, differing from both training conditions.
- No tested antagonist significantly blocked the discriminative stimulus effects of yohimbine.
Conclusions:
- Yohimbine hydrochloride functions as a reliable discriminative stimulus in rats.
- The stimulus effects of yohimbine are not fully mimicked by d-amphetamine, harmaline, or LSD.
- The tested antagonists do not effectively antagonize yohimbine's discriminative stimulus properties, suggesting complex receptor interactions.