Behavioural pharmacology
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Behavioural pharmacology · Feb 1998
Dopamine-dependent behavioural stimulation by non-peptide delta opioids BW373U86 and SNC 80: 1. Locomotion, rearing and stereotypies in intact rats.
The unconditioned behavioural effects of two non-peptide delta-opioid receptor agonists, BW 373U86 and SNC 80, were studied in the intact rat. BW 373U86 (0.1-2.5 mg/kg s.c.) and SNC 80 (2.5-10 mg/kg s.c.) dose-dependently elicited locomotion, rearing, stereotyped sniffing, licking and gnawing. These effects were abolished by pretreatment with the delta-opioid receptor antagonist naltrindole (5.0 mg/kg s.c.). ⋯ When higher doses of BW 373U86 were used (2.5 mg/kg), however, raclopride, even at high cataleptic doses (6.0 mg/kg), only partly prevented the behavioural stimulation induced by the delta-opioid receptor agonist. The behavioural stimulation remaining after high doses of raclopride was abolished by the administration of SCH 23390. These results show that delta-opioid receptor stimulation elicits dopamine-dependent behavioural activation in the rat that depends on dopamine receptors, particularly of the D1 subtype.