Brain glycine and aggressive behavior.

Abstract

Intraperitoneal glycine reduced aggressiveness caused by water deprivation or forebrain septal lesion in the rat. Nalorphine and mephenesin, drugs previously shown to elevate central glycine levels, acted in the same way as systemically administered glycine. In mice made aggressive by prolonged isolation, glycine and mephenesin acted as tranquilizers, but nalorphine failed to act. Aggressiveness in mice, induced by L-dopa or clonidine was enhanced by nalorphine and mephenesin, but was left unaffected by systemically administered glycine. Behavioral effects of glycine extend to other forms of excitation.