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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of corticotropin releasing hormone on appetitive behaviors.

Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) is a 41-residue hypothalamic neuropeptide that has been shown to have potent behavioral effects in animals and has been implicated in clinical disorders in man. This review focuses on those aspects of the behavioral effects of CRH related to food-associated behaviors. The effects of CRH on food intake are compared with its effects on performances maintained by food presentation, and contrasted with the effects of CRH on performances maintained by other events. The effects of CRH antagonists and drugs that interact with the behavioral effects of CRH are also reviewed, particularly with respect to their direct effects on food intake. Lastly, data assessing the effects of CRH administration on central neurotransmitter levels are presented and compared with levels seen in clinical populations. The effect of CRH on food intake seen in animals is consistent with a putative role for CRH in clinical syndromes where appetite suppression is apparent. Since some of the effects of CRH on food intake are subject to pharmacological intervention, strategies directed at peptidergic mechanisms of psychiatric disorders should be explored.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Pulvinar and lateral geniculate neuronal activity in the cat during operantly conditioned appetitive behavior.

Cats were trained to press a lever for 0.5--1.0 ml of milk reward both in the presence and absence of ambient light. 'Floating' microelectrodes were implanted in the pulvinar and lateral geniculate nuclei to allow chronic recording from single or multiple neurons over a period of 1--16 days. Thirty-one of 36 pulvinar neurons (86%) showed a consistent periodicity in the firing rate that was clearly related to certain phases of operant behavior. In the presence of ambient light, the firing rate was maximal shortly prior to or immediately after a rewarded bar press, particularly during the animal's initial contact with reward (the first lap). This burst of activity was followed by an abrupt and strong inhibition of firing which was, in most instances, associated with high voltage slow wave (6--9 c/sec) postreinforcement synchronization (PRS) of the electroencephalogram over the visual and association cortices as well as in the pulvinar. Postreinforcement inhibition of neuronal activity was also observed in the lateral geniculate. Neuronal firing in both nuclei dropped significantly below the respective mean rate observed for each nucleus during relaxed wakefulness. In the dark, however, the reward-induced inhibition was abolished in both nuclei. Moreover, some pulvinar neurons in the dark showed a conspicuous and significant increase in firing during the consummatory response (dark reversal pattern). These findings suggest that a transient but powerful inhibitory process triggered by positive reinforcement depends on visual input. Firing patterns of some pulvinar neurons were noted to be entrained not only by the rhythm of PRS oscillations (inhibitory phasing and postinhibitory discharges) but also by the much slower 3--4 c/sec rhythm of lapping and licking. Furthermore, the patterns of entrainment by initial lapping appear to be different from those observed during the later phase of the consummatory response, thus indicating that the pulvinar may receive information regarding the content of the delivery cup. No entrainment of neuronal activity was observed in the lateral geniculate. These findings reveal remarkable plasticity in the pulvinar neurons that is consistent with their role in polysensory integration.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1991

Chronic administration of flumazenil (Ro 15-1788) enhances non-appetitive exploratory behavior of rats.

The effects of chronic administration of the benzodiazepine receptor antagonist, flumazenil (Ro 15-1788; 4 mg/kg/day for 14 days in drinking water) on the performance of adult rats in the 12-arm radial maze were studied. Relative to controls, the animals treated with flumazenil showed an increase (P less than 0.002) in non-appetitively motived exploratory behavior, so called because it occurred in 88% of instances in non-baited alleys, facing the well-illuminated "enriched environment" of the center of the room, as opposed to the baited alleys, facing the "dull" corner of the room. This behavior emerged between day 5 and 7 of treatment with the drug, it continued to increase over the period of treatment with drug (P less than 0.002), and reached its peak at day 3, after withdrawal of the drug (P less than 0.008; a longer duration was not investigated). The occurrence of non-appetitively motivated exploratory behavior was inversely correlated with the scores for urination/defecation (P less than 0.003) and, therefore, most likely reflected the anxiolytic action of flumazenil. During treatment with drug or vehicle, the control and the drug groups made comparable numbers of "working memory" errors (P = 0.17). However, upon withdrawal of drug and introduction of alley gates (to confine the animal for 10 sec to the center platform, after an alley was explored), the working memory errors of the rats exposed to the drug, remained unchanged (P = 0.35), relative to the preceding three trials, while the performance of the control group was disrupted, as shown by an increase in the numbers of errors (P less than 0.004). At day seven of treatment with drug, the emergence of exploratory behavior was associated with an increased density and/or affinity of benzodiazepine receptors in cortex, hippocampus and brain stem, while three days after withdrawal of drug, when the exploratory behavior reached its peak, there was a reduction in GABA-enhanced binding of [3H]flunitrazepam in the cortex.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

The effects of mevinphos on appetitive operant behavior in the gerbil.

The need for study of the effects on performance of non-lethal organophosphate insecticide exposure is founded on many reports of behavioral difficulties in aerial applicators following exposure. In this study, a different pair of gerbils served in each of the following schedules of reinforcement: FR 25, FR 75, DRL 12-sec, DRL 20-sec, and VI 1-min. Baseline performance in these tasks tended to be comparable to that of more common laboratory species, but was more variable in the case of the VI 1-min task. Mevinphos doses of 0.20 mg/kg and above produced observable somatic signs of poisoning and also produced dose-related decrements in performance in FR and VI tasks. Performance in the DRL schedule was affected only at a dose of 0.30 mg/kg. No performance deficits or overt somatic signs of poisoning were present at mevinphos doses of 0.10 mg/kg or lower. These results do not agree with those of an earlier study which decrements in VI performance of pigeons and squirrel monkeys appeared at low mevinphos doses which did not produce overt somatic signs of poisoning. The possibility of variations in mevinphos effect as a function of species and task was discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Reinforcement with intragastric infusions of ethanol: blocking effect of FLA 57.

Suppression of oral intake of ethanol by FLA 57 has been reported for rats and was attributed to an inhibition of dopamine beta-hydroxylase. We have demonstrated the ability of FLA 57 (50 mg/kg, IP) to suppress bar-pressing for intragastric (IG) delivery of doses of ethanol (25 mg/kg). This indicates that the effect on oral intake of ethanol may not be attributed to a taste factor, e.g., a decreased palatability of the ethanol solution. The same dose of FLA 57 did not suppress responding for IG doses of sweet milk. Thus, there was not an impairment of appetitive behavior in general through some nonspecific depressant or toxic action. Furthermore, the primary reinforcing action of ethanol, when used to establish a buzzer as a conditioned reinforcer through repeated pairings, was blocked if FLA 57 was given before pairings. This was evidenced by a failure of such rats to bar-press above the baseline level in a later test of conditioned reinforcement, which contrasted with the increased responding seen for rats receiving saline instead of FLA 57 before ethanol. These data support the previous findings on oral ethanol and confirm that FLA 57 can impair the mechanism by which ethanol produces positive reinforcement in rats.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Prenatal stress potentiates stress-induced behavior and reduces the propensity to play in juvenile rats.

We examined the hypothesis that prenatal stress potentiates defensive responsiveness which may interfere with the expression of appetitive behavioral activities. Sibling pairs of prenatally stressed and control juvenile rats were placed in an unfamiliar environment. The latency and frequency of social play, a sought-after activity of juvenile rats, were measured on 4 successive days beginning at 25 days of age. However, on Day 27, electric foot shock was administered in order to assess directly whether exposure to threat facilitates the occurrence of defensive behavior in prenatally stressed rats. In addition, to determine whether previous exposure to threat produces long-term suppressive effects on play, rats were retested on Day 28 in the absence of shock. Throughout the testing period, the latency to play, as indicated by one rat pouncing on the opponent, was significantly higher in prenatally stressed than control rats. The frequency of play, however, did not differ reliably between groups. These data suggest that prenatally stressed rats take longer to adapt to the test situation before initiating play than control rats. In both groups, exposure to shock on Day 27 significantly increased the latency to play. More importantly, prenatally stressed rats exhibited significantly higher durations of defensive freezing than control animals. When retested on Day 28, however, the duration of freezing declined significantly and no longer differed between groups. Data appear to support the hypothesis that prenatally stressed juvenile rats are responsive to stress which may modulate the inclination to exhibit social behavior.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMed1977

Hunger in humans induced by 2-deoxy-D-glucose: glucoprivic control of taste preference and food intake.

Intracellular glucopenia induced by 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG) administration in man produces increased hunger ratings and magnitude estimates of pleasantness for sucrose solutions. Augmented food intake substantiates these changes in affective behavior and relieves experimentally induced hunger. Intracellular glucopenia activates counterregulatory mechanisms to raise plasma glucose concentrations. Inducing hunger experimentally with 2DG provides a useful method for studying appetitive behavior in humans. The neurohumoral control of pituitary hormone release and other hypothalamic functions may be examined after 2DG infusion.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of nerve growth factor on behavioral recovery following caudate nucleus lesions in rats.

Rats with bilateral lesions of the caudate nucleus received intracaudate injections of either nerve growth factor protein (NGF) on inert buffer immediately following surgery. NGF-treated animals demonstrated a faster recovery of normal appetitive behavior and perseverated less than their buffer-treated counterparts on a spatial reversal task, but both groups were impaired relative to sham controls on acquisition of an active avoidance response. Glia to neuron ratios were significantly increased in both lesion groups when compared with sham controls. However, this increase was less in the NGF-treated animals than in the buffer-treated animals. NGF treatment had no effect on steady-state caudate dopamine levels, measured six months after surgery.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Ontogeny of feeding controls in suckling and weanling rats.

To rationalize conflicting data in the literature, the latency of attachment of fed and fasted rat pups to the nipples of their anesthetized mother has been studied at various postnatal ages. At 10 and 14 days of age, the mode of fasting had a critical effect on the results: pups fasted in a 30 degrees C incubator had shorter attachment latencies than fed pups, whereas when pups were fasted in a 34 degrees C incubator or with a nonlactating foster mother at room temperature, their latencies were no different from those of fed pups. Thus maternal deprivation has an important influence on attachment latencies, unless other steps are taken to maintain the body temperature of fasted pups. When this variable is controlled, it is apparent that at 10 and 14 days of age, the feeding behavior of rat pups is not related to nutritional status. In contrast, from 17 days onward, latencies of fed pups were significantly longer than those of faster pups, regardless of the mode of fasting. This appearance of appetitive behavior during the 3rd postnatal wk was shown to have a temporal correlation with the beginning of weaning, as measured by the appearance of chow in the stomachs.

Animal Population Groups↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The relationship between motor and secretory behaviors in classical appetitive conditioning.

Three hungry dogs received pairings of food with an accessible, illuminated panel. This resulted in the dogs' approaching the lighted panel and salivating. Despite the similarity of these conditioning procedures to those used in a large body of research primarily with avians, however, the dogs did not physically contact the lighted stimulus panel. These results bear on several issues concerning the form and direction of classically conditioned behaviors.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Saccharin aversion in the rat following adrenalectomy.

Changes in saccharin preference as a function of concentration were studied in rats after either adrenalectomy of sham surgery. A 48 hr two-bottle preference test was used. Under two different sets of testing conditions, adrenalectomized animals rejected saccharin solutions at concentrations that were highly acceptible to controls and did not show an appetitive behavior towards andy of the concentrations tested. This aversion pattern persisted even when preference tests were conducted for as long as 10 days. However, it was abolished when the adrenalectomized rats wre exposed to saccharin for 6 days prior to surgery, or when they were administered the glucocorticoid dexamethasone. Results are discussed with respect to the effects of adrenal hormones on sensory systems and to taste-aversion learning.

Adrenalectomy↗