Generalization by rats of alcohol and atropine stimulus characteristics to other drugs

Summary Two operant procedures were used for training albino rats to make differential responses on the basis of their drug or nondrug condition. In the Conflict procedure, every fifth lever press was rewarded by a food pellet in one condition (drug for half the animals, saline for the other half) and was punished by electric shock in the other condition. For 6 animals the drug condition was ethyl alcohol (1200 mg/kg of a 10% v/v solution in isotonic saline, injected i.p. 5 min before the start of the session); for 4 animals the drug condition was atropine sulfate (10 mg/kg in 1 ml/kg saline injected i.p. 30 min before the start of the session). In the Choice procedure, food reward was obtained by the first press on one of two levers at a variable time interval, averaging one minute, after the prior food reward. The rewarded lever depended on the animal's drug or saline condition (alcohol for 7 animals, atropine for 5 animals, administered as in the Conflict procedure); the same right-hand or left left-hand lever was rewarded in the drug condition for half the animals and in the saline condition for the other half.The response associated with 1200 mg/kg alcohol was generally elicited in tests with sufficiently high doses of pentobarbital sodium (10–20 mg/kg), chlordiazepoxide hydrochloride (10–15 mg/kg) and chloral hydrate (90–120 mg/kg, administered orally). Lower doses of these compounds, and of alcohol, were perceived as less similar to the alcohol and therefore more similar to the saline condition. Substantial doses of chlorpromazine hydrochloride (2 mg/kg) and d-amphetamine sulfate (1 mg/kg) also were perceived as similar to the saline condition. The response associated with a centrally acting anticholinergic (10 mg/kg atropine) was generally elicited in tests with several doses of scopolamine hydrobromide (0.06 to 1.0 mg/kg) and of atropine (2.5–5.0 mg/kg). The saline response was elicited by a lower dose of scopolamine (0.03 mg/kg) and by a peripherally-acting anticholinergic, atropine methyl bromide, at a dose (5 mg/kg) equimolar with 10 mg/kg atropine sulfate. The same results, including closely similar ED₅₀ doses, were generally found with the Conflict and Choice procedures, despite the differences between them in the motivational basis for the differential drug and nondrug responses. The similarities and dissimilarities among these compounds in perceived stimulus characteristics also correspond closely with those reported by Overton (1966) with a locomotor shock-escape procedure in tests which were generally limited to a single high dose of each drug.This paper reports a portion of a thesis by the first author for the M. S. degree at the University of Pittsburgh, with the support of a predoctoral PHS training grant No. GM-1217 from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, and a PHS Research Scientist Development Award No. K2-MH-5921 from the National Institute of Mental Health to the second author. Portions of the data were presented at the 1968 meetings of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology and of the American Psychological Association. The statistical analyses were aided by the IBM 7090 computer at the University of Pittsburgh Computer Center, partially supported by National Science Foundation Grant G-11309.     

Strychnine seizure potentiation by azaspirodecanedione anxiolytics in rats

Buspirone, gepirone and ipsaperone administered intraperitoneally (40 mg/kg) to naive rats were found to be proconvulsive for strychnine-induced seizures. The dose of strychnine required to induce seizures in 50% of test animals (CD50) was 2.18 mg/kg in naive rats, while CD50s for rats treated with the azaspirodecanediones ipsaperone, gepirone and buspirone were 1.65, 0.97 and 0.70 mg/kg respectively. Azaspirodecanediones have high affinity for the 5-HT1A serotonin receptor, however, the specific 5-HT1A agonist, 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propyl-amino)-tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) had no effect on strychnine seizure in naive rats (CD50 = 2.0 mg/kg). The strychnine specific proconvulsive effects of inferior olive lesions and buspirone were additive, resulting in a CD50 of 0.1 mg/kg. This observation indicates that the buspirone-induced decrease in strychnine seizure threshold does not require intact inferior olive-climbing fiber pathways. Cerebellar sites for possible azaspirodecanedione action are discussed.     

Failure of aspartame to affect seizure susceptibility in kindled rats

The effect of aspartame administered by gavage to rats on amygdala and hippocampal kindled seizures was assessed. Despite the administration of a wide range of doses (25-2000 mg/kg) no evidence for an effect of aspartame on afterdischarge threshold or seizure strength was obtained when testing was done at a time when serum and brain levels of neutral amino acids are known to be significantly elevated as a result of this treatment. There is controversy whether dietary aspartame (N-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester), a food additive sweetner, can lead to seizures in susceptible humans and in laboratory animals. A proseizure effect of high consumption of aspartame has been alleged (Wurtman, 1985; Walton, 1986) and denied (Gaull, 1985). Recent studies using mice have yielded mixed results. Thus, Kim and Kim (1986) and Pinto and Maher (1988) observed potentiating effects of high loads of aspartame on chemically induced seizures, but Nevins, Arnolde and Haigler (1986) observed no effect on chemical and ECS seizures. We used the electrical kindling model of epilepsy to assess whether aspartame can alter seizure threshold or strength in rats. The kindled response is highly repeatable and stable and has been shown to be sensitive to a large variety of pharmacological treatments (Racine, 1978) and to dietary manipulation (McCann, Cain and Philbrick, 1983).     

Generalization of a restraint-induced discriminative stimulus to cocaine in rats

 The ability of the interoceptive cues produced following exposure to restraint stress to generalize to the discriminative stimulus effects of cocaine was investigated. Rats were trained to discriminate cocaine (10 mg/kg, IP, n=10; or 20 mg/kg, IP, n=6) from saline using a two-choice, food-reinforced, drug discrimination design. Substitution for the 10 mg/kg training dose of cocaine was observed subsequent to exposure to 15 min of restraint when administered immediately following an injection of saline. Restraint-induced generalization in the 20 mg/kg training group was substantial, but not statistically significant. These data suggest that a component of the subjective effects of cocaine may be associated with ”anxiety”. Received: 19 July 1997 / Final version: 1 October 1997     

Disruption of diurnal feeding patterns of rats by heroin

Adult male rats receiving 5 or 20 mg/kg heroin HCl by single injections (08:00 or 20:00 hr) or in 3 equal injections (8 hr intervals) showed a disruption in the normal diurnal pattern of behavior. Initially, heroin abolished feeding for several hr after the injection, reduced the total daily food consumption in a dose-related manner, due primarily to decreased night-time feeding, and prevented or slowed weight gain. Subsequent heroin injections led to a phase of vigorous feeding following the period of depression. Magnitude and duration of the depression decreased, but the stimulatory phase of feeding became more pronounced as tolerance developed. Total daily food intake and body weight returned towards control levels, but the proportion eaten during daylight hr became elevated. Sporadic feeding occurred on the first withdrawal day with abolition of the stimulatory phase which had followed each heroin injection. Subsequently, the normal diurnal pattern of behavior gradually returned. Close measurement of 24 hr food consumption may be a sensitive and valuable measure of the disruptive effects of narcotic analgesics.     

Environmental modification of tolerance to morphine discriminative stimulus properties in rats

The development of tolerance to the discriminative stimulus properties of morphine was examined in rats trained to discriminate saline and 3.2 mg/kg morphine under amultiple timeout 15 min, 5 min fixed-ratio 30 schedule of food delivery. Generalization gradients were generated by administering increasing doses of morphine before successive timeout periods within the experimental session. Over the course of the study, the minimal discriminable dose (MDD) of morphine under control conditions fluctuated but did not systematically increase or decrease. Acute pretreatments of 3.2–17.8 mg/kg morphine 4–24 h before a generalization test resulted in minor changes in the MDD. To examine development of tolerance, supplemental doses of morphine (17.8 mg/kg) or saline were administered twice daily while discrimination training was either suspended or continued. Tolerance was assessed by weekly generalization tests. Greater tolerance developed to the morphine stimulus when training was suspended than when training was continued. For both training conditions, response rates during generalization tests were markedly suppressed during supplemental morphine administration, and original generalization gradients were recaptured within 2 weeks after termination of supplemental morphine administration. Supplemental saline administration did not alter the discriminative or rate-altering effects of morphine under either training condition. Thus, the magnitude of tolerance to a morphine discriminative stimulus reflected an interaction of supplemental drug treatment with the training conditions imposed during that treatment.     

Behavioral sensitization to the discriminative stimulus effects of methamphetamine in rats

Sensitization to the discriminative stimulus effects of psychostimulants is not fully understood. Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate the development of sensitization to the discriminative stimulus of methamphetamine in rats. A dose-response curve for methamphetamine and a generalization test for cocaine were recorded in rats trained to discriminate between 1.0 mg/kg methamphetamine and saline. A significant leftward shift of the dose-response curve for methamphetamine and of the dose-generalization curve for cocaine was observed following repeated administration of methamphetamine (2.0 mg/kg) instead of saline. These findings suggest that repeated administration of methamphetamine can produce behavioral sensitization to the discriminative stimulus effects of methamphetamine in rats.     

Beta-adrenergic-mediated inhibition of feeding by mercaptoacetate in food-deprived rats

This study investigated the effect of intraperitoneal (IP) injections of the fatty acid oxidation (FAO) inhibitor mercaptoacetate (MA, 45.6 mg/kg) on feeding in food-deprived rats. As previously, MA significantly stimulated feeding in ad libitum-fed rats. MA, however, reduced feeding in 18 and 36 h-fasted rats despite apparently antagonizing the fasting-induced increase in hepatic FAO. To test whether this anorectic effect involves beta-adrenergic stimulation, 36 h-fasted rats were IP injected with the nonspecific beta-adrenergic receptor antagonist propranolol (PROP, 0.5 mg/kg) just before MA injection. PROP attenuated MA's feeding-inhibitory effect, suggesting that MA anorexia is at least partially mediated by beta-adrenergic stimulation. Finally, we evaluated the role of subdiaphragmatic vagal afferent fibers in MA's feeding-inhibitory effect by testing the ability of MA to inhibit food intake in fasted rats after subdiaphragmatic vagal deafferentation (SDA). MA inhibited feeding similarly in SDA rats and sham-operated rats. These data demonstrate that subdiaphragmatic vagal afferents are not necessary for the feeding-inhibitory effect of peripheral MA. These results suggest that the FAO inhibitor MA elicits a feeding-inhibitory effect in fasted rats that is mediated by a different mechanism than its feeding-stimulatory effect.     

Intermittent exposure to a social stimulus enhances ethanol drinking in rats

The present experiment evaluates the effects of intermittent exposure to a social stimulus on ethanol and water drinking in rats. Four groups of rats were arranged in a 2x2 factorial design with 2 levels of Social procedure (Intermittent Social vs Continuous Social) and 2 levels of sipper Liquid (Ethanol vs Water). Intermittent Social groups received 35 trials per session. Each trial consisted of the insertion of the sipper tube for 10 s followed by lifting of the guillotine door for 15 s. The guillotine door separated the experimental rat from the conspecific rat in the wire mesh cage during the 60 s inter-trial interval. The Continuous Social groups received similar procedures except that the guillotine door was raised during the entire duration of the session. For the Ethanol groups, the concentrations of ethanol in the sipper [3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16% (vol/vol)] increased across sessions, while the Water groups received 0% ethanol (water) in the sipper throughout the experiment. Both Social procedures induced more intake of ethanol than water. The Intermittent Social procedure induced more ethanol intake at the two highest ethanol concentration blocks (10-12% and 14-16%) than the Continuous Social procedure, but this effect was not observed with water. Effects of social stimulation on ethanol drinking are discussed.     

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors partially generalize to nicotine discriminative stimulus effect in rats

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChE-Is), galantamine, physostigmine and tacrine, enhance central levels of synaptic acetylcholine. Galantamine and physostigmine, but not tacrine, exhibit allosteric potentiation ligand (APL) properties on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether AChE-Is with nicotinic acetylcholine receptor-positive allosteric modulator properties generalize to the discriminative stimulus effect of nicotine in rats. A two-lever operant conditioning paradigm was used in which rats were trained to discriminate nicotine (0.2 mg/kg/ml intraperitoneally) from saline. After training, generalization tests were carried out with galantamine (1, 3 or 5 mg/kg intraperitoneally), physostigmine (0.05, 0.1 or 0.2 mg/kg subcutaneously) or tacrine (0.625, 1.25 or 2.5 mg/kg subcutaneously) given as a single presession administration. Galantamine, physostigmine or tacrine produced a partial generalization of 62.2%, 55.1% or 43.6% , respectively, on the nicotine-appropriate lever compared with 100% partial generalization induced by the nicotine-training dose. High doses of galantamine, physostigmine or tacrine produced small but significant decreases in operant response rate, suggesting a possible underestimation of the degree of generalization. Our study showed that these three AChE-Is partially generalized to the nicotine stimulus without a significant distinction between AChE-Is with or without APL properties. These findings suggest that the APL property is not necessary for inducing nicotine-like effects in vivo in this behavioural paradigm.     

Discriminative stimulus properties of physostigmine in rats

Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to discriminate a subcutaneous injection of physostigmine (0.2 mg/kg) from a similar injection of saline in a two-lever, food-reinforced behavior paradigm. The training dose of physostigmine reduced the response rate to about 50% of that in saline sessions. The discriminative stimulus (DS) effect of physostigmine is mediated by a central cholinergic mechanism since it was antagonized by scopolamine (0.1 mg/kg), but was unaffected by methylscopolamine (1 mg/kg) or pirenzepine (3 mg/kg). Neostigmine produced predominantly saline-appropriate lever choice. Compounds which produced averages of greater than 80% responses on the physostigmine lever are: compound BM-5 (N-methyl-N-(1-methyl-4-pyrrolidino-2-butynyl)-acetamide), tetrahydroaminoacridine (THA), RS-86 (2-ethyl-8-methyl-2,8-diazaspiro-(4,5)-decan-1,3-dion hydrobromide), cis-AF30 (2-methyl-spiro-(1,3-dioxolane-4,3')-quinuclidine), and pilocarpine. In comparison, oxotremorine, aceclidine (3-acetoxy-quinuclidine), arecoline, and nicotine produced a maximum average responding of 40-70% on the physostigmine lever. The DS effect of physostigmine in rats appeared to involve a greater participation of M1 and M2 muscarinic or the nicotinic receptor in the brain.     

Characterization of the scopolamine stimulus in rats

The discriminative stimulus properties of scopolamine, a potent antagonist at muscarinic receptors, were used for testing the discriminative effects of drugs known to act on cholinergic transmission. Rats were trained in a standard two-bar operant conditioning procedure with food as the reinforcer, according to a FR10 schedule. The training dose of scopolamine was progressively reduced from 0.25 mg/kg SC to the low dose of 0.062 mg/kg SC. Scopolarmine yielded an accurate discrimination in all the six rats tested. The generalization gradient resulted in an ED₅₀ of 0.027 mg/kg. The scopolamine cue lasted for 1 h and was of central origin, since it was not mimicked by scopolamine methylbromide. The scopolamine stimulus generalized to atropine and trihexyphenidyl (respective ED₅₀ values 2.20 and 0.21 mg/kg SC). Atropine depressed rate of responding, while trihexyphenidyl did not. Antagonism experiments with both direct agonists at the muscarinic receptor (arecoline and oxotremorine) and indirect agonists, i.e., inhibitors of the acetylcholine esterase [physostigmine and tetrahydroaminoacridine (THA)], led to inconsistent results. Increasing the doses of the agonists in order to block the scopolamine cue may be limited by their rate suppressant effect on responding. Based upon previously published results, it is suggested that the muscarinic agonist cue is more useful than the antagonist cue for investigating muscarinic transmission.     

Branched-chain amino acids increase the seizure threshold to picrotoxin in rats.

During infusion of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) in humans, changes in ventilatory drive, appetite, and sleep have been reported. The mechanism by which BCAAs exert their effects on CNS remains unclear. Picrotoxin is a proconvulsant drug, acting as an antagonist on the GABA-benzodiazepine receptor complex. Twenty rats were randomized to receive either an IP injection with 4% BCAAs (300 mg/kg; 8 ml/kg) (n = 10) or placebo (saline 8 ml/kg) (n = 10). The mean latency time from injection to onset of seizures was recorded as an indication of the seizure threshold. Latency time was significantly longer for BCAAs than for placebo, 11.2 (+/- 1.9) vs. 8.3 (+/- 1.8) min. Thus, a BCAA injection increased the seizure threshold to picrotoxin (p < 0.03). This suggests that BCAA infusion may exert effects on the GABA-benzodiazepine receptor complex.     

Increased sensitivity to the stimulus properties of morphine in food deprived rats

Recent research has shown that food deprivation increases opiate self-administration; in this line a first purpose of the present experiments was to determine whether the food deprivation effect could be replicated by the use of place conditioning, an alternative procedure for the study of drug reinforcement. It was found that the conditioned reinforcing properties of morphine (2.5 mg/kg IP) paired cues are greater in food deprived rats both after 1 and 3 conditioning sessions. A second objective of the work was to examine the possibility that food deprivation could also influence the discriminative stimulus properties of opiates. To this end rats trained to discriminate 10 mg/kg IP of morphine from saline were submitted to morphine generalization tests when food deprived or after 15 min supplemental feeding in the home cages. The ED50 value was significantly lower for food deprived (6.09 mg/kg) than for partially satiated (7.79 mg/kg) rats. It was concluded that food deprived rats are mores sensitive to both the reinforcing and the discriminative stimulus properties of morphine.     

Sensitization to the morphine-like discriminative stimulus effects of buprenorphine in rats.

An experiment was performed to determine whether chronic non-contingent administration of morphine would produce cross-sensitization to the cueing properties of buprenorphine or D-amphetamine. To this end the sensitivity to the discriminative stimulus effects of morphine, buprenorphine and D-amphetamine was determined in rats trained to discriminate 10 mg kg(-1)morphine from saline in a food-reinforced operant task. Seven rats were given repeated non-contingent treatments with morphine (20 mg kg(-1)on saline or no-test days and 10 mg kg(-1)on drug days) starting 20 days before the beginning of discrimination training; another six animals received injections of saline. Chronic administration of morphine resulted in sensitization to the discriminative stimulus effect of this drug and in cross-sensitization to the discriminative stimulus effect of buprenorphine. D-Amphetamine produced only saline lever selection in all rats. In conclusion, the present results confirm that the stimulus properties of opioid drugs may be enhanced, rather than decreased, in animals with a history of repeated non-contingent treatment with morphine. Sensitization to central-acting drugs is thought to play a role in the psychopathology of drug abuse. Hence, the present results point out the necessity of considering the effects of drugs which show tolerance, and those which show sensitization, under any particular drug regimen.     

Failure of SCH 23390 to function as a discriminative stimulus in rats

Four rats were studied in a two-lever, food-reinforced drug discrimination paradigm using the Dl dopamine antagonist SCH 23390 (0.03 mg/kg, IP, 30 minutes prior to the session) and saline as the training stimuli. After at least 100 training sessions there was no evidence of stimulus control over responding by SCH 23390 in 3 of the 4 rats, and only briefly in the fourth. On the other hand, food delivery exerted control over behavior indicating that SCH 23390 did not disrupt control of behavior by the reinforcing stimulus. An increase in training dose to 0.06 mg/kg for an additional 12 sessions did not improve discriminative accuracy although this dose reduced rate of responding to an extent that made further training using 0.06 mg/kg untenable. The results provide no evidence of stimulus control of behavior by SCH 23390 and suggest that SCH 23390 does not function as a discriminative stimulus in rats.     

Tolerance and cross-tolerance to morphine-like stimulus effects of µ opioids in rats

 The purpose of these experiments was to examine the relationship of agonist relative efficacy to the pattern of tolerance and cross-tolerance to the morphine-like stimulus effects of three opioid agonists. Rats were trained to discriminate 3.2 mg/kg morphine from saline under fixed-ratio 15 schedule of food reinforcement. Morphine, nalbuphine, and fentanyl produced dose-dependent increases in morphine-like stimulus effects and decreases in response rates. Repeated treatment with 20 mg/kg per day morphine increased the ED₅₀ for stimulus control by fentanyl, morphine, or nalbuphine two-, four-, or 40-fold, respectively. Repeated treatment with 64 mg/kg per day nalbuphine increased the ED₅₀ for stimulus control for morphine by two-fold, but lower or higher treatment doses had no significant effect. Treatment with 100 mg/kg per day nalbuphine increased the ED₅₀ for nalbuphine by six-fold. Repeated treatment with 0.22 mg/kg per day fentanyl increased the ED₅₀ for stimulus control by fentanyl or morphine by approximately two-fold. Comparisons among treatment conditions suggested that magnitude of tolerance to morphine-like stimulus effects did not vary as an inverse function of the relative efficacy of the agonist used for repeated treatment. Rather repeated morphine and fentanyl treatments produced comparable tolerance, whereas repeated nalbuphine treatment did not evoke substantial tolerance. Comparisons within treatment conditions, however, suggested that magnitude of tolerance may vary inversely with relative efficacy of the agonist tested for morphine-like stimulus effects. During treatment with morphine or fentanyl, greater tolerance was observed to the morphine-like stimulus effects of the lower efficacy agonist relative to the higher efficacy agonist. Received: 17 September 1996 / Final version: 13 March 1997     

Differential inhibition by propranolol of feeding induced in rats by various stimuli

Opiate receptor blockade, or forced imbibition of 2% NaCl to deplete pituitary dynorphin decreases 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), but not insulin-induced hyperphagia, indicating a possible role for dynorphin in the eating associated with endogenous opiates. Beta-adrenergic receptor blockade decreases vasopressin release induced by 2-DG but not by insulin. Because vasopressin and dynorphin are sometimes co-localized, it was hypothesized that naloxone-sensitive feeding might be selectively inhibited by beta-adrenergic blockade with propranolol. Propranolol in doses as low as 2.5 mg/kg inhibited 4 hr feeding induced by 2-DG (400 mg/kg). Propranolol did not significantly affect feeding induced by ketocyclazocine administration (3.0 mg/kg) or by 24 hr food deprivation. Feeding stimulated by insulin (10 U/kg) was significantly inhibited by propranolol (2.5 mg/kg) only when the propranolol was reinjected during the period 2 hr after insulin injection, when the induced feeding was greatest. In summary, propranolol inhibited opiate-related (2-DG) as well as opiate-independent (insulin) hyperphagias. It also failed to inhibit food intake resulting from the opiate related stimulus of 24 hr food deprivation. Therefore, naloxone sensitive hyperphagias were not specifically inhibited by beta-adrenergic blockade, indicating that vasopressin-associated dynorphin is not involved in opiate related feeding.