Quantification of behaviour in social colonies of rhesus monkey.

It is necessary to use experimental animals with behavioural, physiological and disease susceptibility pattern similar to man so that the results have a clinical predictive value. For such studies the non-human primate is the animal of choice. Rhesus monkey is a good choice for this purpose but information about its behaviour is fragmentary. In order to obtain a quantitative baseline data for psychopharmacological studies, a protocol has been developed to score various social and solitary behaviours in adult male and female rhesus monkeys. The study was conducted on rhesus monkeys in a social colony of one male and seven female living in a semi-restricted environment. The behavioural patterns were quantitated so as to compare effect on various components of behaviour. Aggressiveness and vigilance were prominent in the male while social affiliative behaviour was dominant in the female. Other behavioural responses were of similar magnitude in both sexes. It is however necessary to have data with some standard CNS active agents on these behavioural protocol. Therefore, initially the behavioural effects of amphetamine and haloperidol were studied. Significant effects observed following d-amphetamine (1-4 mg/kg, im); it induced dose dependent suppression of social behaviour (approach, contact, grooming), feeding, hypervigilance, stereotypy and oral hyperkinesia. On the other hand haloperidol (0.01-0.04 mg/kg, im) produced decrease in social and solitary behaviour and marked cataleptic posture. It is possible to quantitate drug effects on various aspects of behaviour of the rhesus monkey and to develop neuropsychitric models with the help of this protocol for use in study of drug effects on behaviour.

Thyrotropin releasing hormone injected into the nucleus accumbens septi selectively increases face grooming in rats

The effect of unilateral injection of peptides into the nucleus accumbens septi (NAS) on subcategories of grooming behavior was studied in male rats. The peptides used were: thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH), luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) and corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH). Male rats (Holtzman strain, 240-270 g body weight) injected with progressive doses of TRH (100, 200 and 400 ng) at 5-day intervals were compared with the control state (injection of artificial cerebrospinal fluid CSF). A selective increase in face grooming was observed with the 100 ng (49.78 + 6.11, N = 18) and 200 ng (50.29 + 7.72, N = 17) doses of TRH (P<0.05 vs CSF injection 26.94 + 3.64, N = 18). Face grooming increased further with the 400 ng dose (55.19 + 8.26, N = 16, P<0.01), but a dose-response curve could not be obtained at the dose range used. Flank scratching, head, body and genital grooming were not altered by the TRH injection, but the rearing behavior was inhibited (10.33 + 1.56; N = 18; 10.76 + 1.77, N = 17; 12 + 2.06, N = 16) (P<0.05 for all doses vs controls, 20.61 + 2.81, N = 18). The rats that received LHRH (75 ng, N = 16) and CRH (100 ng, N = 14) did not show behavioral changes when compared with their control states. The results show that injection on TRH into the NAS, but not the injection of LHRH or CRH, selectively increases face grooming without affecting other subcategories of grooming at the doses used, and appears to link this peptide with the neural substrate of stereotyped behavior.

Distinct grooming patterns induced by intracerebroventricular injection of CRH, TRH and LHRH in male rats

This paper reports the effects on grooming, related behaviors and levels of anxiety induced by the hypophysiotropic peptides corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH, 1 mug, 0.2 nmol, icv), thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH, 100 mug, 275 nmol, icv) and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH, 1.5 mug, 1.3 nmol, icv) administered into the lateral ventricle of the brain (icv) of adult male rats of a Holtzman-derived colony (N = 15, each group). CRH induced an increase in total grooming scores, whereas LHRH, TRH and vehicle had no effect. CRH strongly increased face and head grooming and induced head shakes. The time spent in rearing and gnawing was significantly decreased. In the plus-maze, CRH reduced the time of exploration in the open arm. TRH increased face grooming and induced body shakes. LHRH had no effect on grooming or rearing behavior. No body or head shakes were observed after LHRH administration. Scoring of individual grooming elements demonstrated differences in action of the three peptides. Although both CRH and TRH increased face grooming, only CRH induced head grooming. Furthermore, CRH induced predominantly head shakes while TRH increased body shake activity. In contrast, CRH was anxiogenic and TRH appeared to induce stereotyped behavior. From the characterization of grooming elements and related responses, we conclude that each hypophysiotropic peptide induces a specific behavioral pattern.

Behavior effects of adrenaline and noradrenaline injected into the lateral ventricles of the pigeon (Columba Livia)

The behavioral effects of intravrnticular 1-micronl injections of adrenaline and noradrenaline (both in a concentration of 30 nmol/micronl) were wxamined in pigeons bearing cannule chronically implanted into the lateral ventricles. Injections of either catcholoamine evoked immediate and intense bouts of feeding behavior, followed by long-lasting incrases in sleep duration (50-90% higher than vehicle-treated subjects) in pigeons given free access to food during the observation period. Pigeons treated with adrenaline or vehicle only, and placed in a cage without the feeder set (food-deprived durngi the observation period), exhibited late increases in exploratory and preening behaviors, and less sleep than controls (vehicle-treated pigeons with free access to food). These data suggest that post-prandial sleep in this situation may represent a by-product of feeding-related processes evoked by both catecholamines

Effects of thyroxine on the development of self-grooming behavior in rats

Se estudió el efecto provocado por la administración neonatal de tiroxina (1 ug/gr de peso corporal por vía intraperitoneal, en los días 1 al 3 postparto), sobre el desarrollo de seis componentes de la conducta de auto aseo en ratas Wistar macho entre los días 1 y 60 postparto. Los resultados mostraron que la administración neonatal de la hormona provocó una aceleración de 2 a 3 días en la aparición de componentes del aseo. Paralelamente no se modificó importantemente el desarrollo de quellos componentes dirigidos a partes limitadas del cuerpo como son el lamido de las manos, de la cara y de la cabeza. Por el contrario, se observó un incremento significativo de aquellos componentes dirigidos a porciones amplias del cuerpo, como el lamido de la piel y de la región anogenital, así como el rascado con las extremidades posteriores. Los hallazgos sugieren que el tratamiento hormonal temprano, pudiera interferir con el desarrollo de los circuitos neuronales que participan en la modulación de los movimientos del auto aseo dirigido a zonas más amplias del cuerpo

Alfa-melanotropin induced excessive grooning involve brain acetylcholine possible interaction in the ventral tegmental area

Cuando alfa-MSH es inyectado en el área tegmental ventral (VTA) o intracerebroventricularmente (icv) induce comportamiento de aseo excesivo. La infusión icv del péptido tamién provoca el síndrome de estiramiento y bostezo (SEB). Estos efectos son suprimidos por la administración de atropina intraperitoneal, icv o en el ATV. Las evidencias experimentales presentadas sugerían que alfa-MSH actuaría específicamente sobre una aferencia colinérgica en el ATV. Los resultados indicarían que el péptido actuaría en un blanco neural distinto al sistema dopaminérgico , y originaría los cambios comportamentales recientemente mencionados