Low responsiveness to agents evoking 5-HT2 receptor-mediated behaviors in Sardinian alcohol-preferring rats

The selective NK3 tachykinin agonist senktide evokes in rodents 5-HT mediated behaviors, including 5-HT2 receptor-mediated wet dog shakes (WDS) and head shakes (HS). It was observed previously that genetically selected Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) rats show a small number of WDS and HS following intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of senktide. The present study was aimed at confirming these observations and at providing information on the reasons accounting for the anomalous response of sP rats. Senktide (500-2000 ng/rat, ICV) produced a much lower number of WDS and HS in sP rats than in nonselected Wistar (nsW) rats. Both behaviors were suppressed by the 5-HT2 antagonist ritanserin (1 mg/kg, subcutaneously), confirming that 5-HT2 receptors mediate the response. HS induced by the ICV injection of 5-HT agonists endowed with marked activity at 5-HT2 receptors, such as quipazine (1500-6000 ng/rat) or DOI (500-3500 ng/rat), were much less pronounced in sP rats than in nsW rats. Moreover, WDS following peripheral injection of 5-hydroxytryptophan, 25-100 mg/kg, and carbidopa, 12.5 mg/kg, were less intense in sP and in ethanol-naive sP rats than in nsW and in Sardinian alcohol-nonpreferring rats. These findings suggest that sP rats have an inherent different regulation of central 5-HT2 mechanisms.