Alteration of avoidance and ingestive behavior after destruction of central catecholamine pathways with 6-hydroxydopamine

Alterations of shuttle-box avoidance acquisition, ingestive behavior, and catecholamine content in 4 different parts of brain were determined following bilateral infusion of 6-hydroxydopamine into the ventral tegmental area containing A-10 dopamine cell bodies, the tegmental segment of the ascending norepinephrine pathways, the globus pallidum, or the caudate-putamen. The maximum antagonism of active avoidance acquisition occurred following placement of 6-hydroxydopamine into the ventral tegmental and caudate areas. No effect on either avoidance or ingestive behavioral measures occurred after infusion of 6-hydroxydopamine into the norepinephrine pathways. Factor analysis of behavioral and biochemical data suggested that only striatal dopamine content bore a high relationship to avoidance behavior, while ingestive behavioral measures were highly related to both striatal and limbic dopamine content. Results suggest a functional—anatomical differentiation of dopamine pathways in brain.