A dopaminergic mechanism is involved in the ‘anxiogenic-like’ response induced by chronic amphetamine treatment: a behavioral and neurochemical study

L.M. CANCELA*, A.M. BASSO, I.D. MARTIJENA, N.R. CAPRILES1, V.A. MOLINA

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Año: 2001 vol. 909 p. 179 - 179

font face="Times New Roman" size="1"> The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of chronic d-amphetamine (AMPH) treatment (2 mg/kg i.p., for 9 consecutive days) on behavioral and neurochemical responses to a subsequent exposure — 4 days after the last AMPH injection — to the elevated plus-maze (EPM), as well as to determine the involvement of a dopaminergic mechanism in that influence. Results showed that chronic AMPH treatment induced an ‘anxiogenic-like’ response when animals were evaluated in the EPM test. Pretreatment with either haloperidol (HAL, 1 mg/kg i.p., 20 min prior to each injection) or SCH-23390 (0.1 mg/kg i.p., 10 min prior to each injection) completely abolished the chronic AMPH-induced ‘anxiogenic-like’ effect displayed in the EPM test. However, sulp