Effect of psychotropic substances on conditioned reflexes in cats after emotional excitation]

Emotional rage and fear were found to destroy the differential inhibition and the short-term memory in cats. Stelazine, haloperidol, amitriptyline, imizine, chlordiazepoxide, diazepan and benactyzine prevented these disturbances. Chlorpromazine, as well as stelazine and haloperidol in high doses, enhanced these disturbances. The tranquillizers and the antidepressants normalized the higher nervous activity at a greater dose range than neuroleptics and were more preferable for the elimination of the negative consequences of the strong emotional reactions.     

Effect of neurotropic substances on sleep disorders caused by electrical stimulation of the hypothalamus in cats

The total period of sleep decreased as a result of the REM-sleep deficite following rage reaction induced in cats by the electrical stimulation of the hypothalamus. Haloperidol (1, 2, 3 mg/kg), diazepam (0.5, 1 mg/kg), nitrazepam (1, 6 mg/kg), glutetymide (10, 30, 60 mg/kg), pentobarbital (5, 15, 30 mg/kg) failed to eliminate sleep disturbances induced by rage reaction; lithium hydroxybutyrate (100, 150 mg/kg), dimedrol (1.5, 6 mg/kg) and imipramine increased the total sleep time on account of the slow wave phase; sodium hydroxybutyrate (100 mg/kg) normalized the electrophysiological pattern of sleep, decreasing the REM-sleep latency and the number of waking cats, and increasing the total REM-sleep time and the number of REM-sleep episodes.     

Effect of psychotropic substances on dopamine uptake by synaptosomes and glial cells]

Dophamine-H3 uptake by synaptosomes and glial cells of the cerebral cortex in rabbits and by the synaptosomes of the cerebral cortex in rats was studied. KM value of the dophamine-H3 uptake was found to be the same (0.075 +/- +/- 0.01 micrometer) in case of synaptosomes and glial cells. The rate of dophamine-H3 uptake by the rabbit cerebral cortex synaptosomes was twice that of the gial cells (as compared by protein). Among the psychotropic agents studied the most active symaptosome uptake inhibitors were phenamine and cocaine; they were less active in respect to glial uptake. Both types of uptake were inhibited by neuroleptics and antidepressants to the same degree. Results of this work conformed to the view on the participation of the strial dophaminergic link in the action mechanism of psychostimulants.     

Effect of vasopressin on changes in the behavioral reactions of rats induced by psychotropic substances

The effect was studied of arginyl-8-vasopressin (AVP) on changes in rats behavioural reactions, elicited by reserpine, haloperidol, aminazine, amitriptyline or nialamide. It has been shown that AVP administered intraperitoneally in a dose of 0.001 mg/kg, eliminates the deficit of elaboration of conditioned reaction of active avoidance produced by psychotropic drugs, without influencing the motor activity reduction developed after administration of these substances.     

Effect of psychotropic substances on the development of alcoholic motivation in noninbred white rats

The experiments have shown the capacity of antidepressant amitriptylin (0.5 mg/kg, i. p.) and tranquilizer phenazepam (0.1 mg/kg i. p.) to normalize the adaptive behaviour and almost completely prevent the development of alcohol motivation in animals with insufficient adaptive behaviour. It was established that in animals initially rejecting alcohol, chronic treatment with these drugs as well as d-amphetamine promoted alcohol motivation. The results obtained have proved our earlier hypothesis that preclinical search for drugs for the prevention and treatment of early stages of alcoholism is possible only in animals pre-selected according to their inclination to experimental alcoholism.     

Activity of rabbit's neocortical and hippocampal neurons in orienting-exploratory behavior and freezing

By plotting autocorrelation histograms, the character of impulsation of neurons in bilateral derivations from cortical visual and somatosensory areas and hippocampal field CA1 was studied in rabbits during free behavior under the influences of emotional stimuli. During active orienting-exploratory reaction of rabbits, most cortical and hippocampal neurons manifested bursting discharges and theta-frequency oscillation (predominantly 4-5 Hz in cortex and 4-5, 6-7 in hyppocampus). During freezing, as compared with active locomotor reaction, the number of neurons with equiprobabilistic discharges increased; in impulsation of neurons with periodicity, the intensity of delta-frequency oscillation increased (predominantly 2-4 Hz) but theta-frequency oscillation decreased. The number of neurons with delta-frequency oscillation during freezing was greater then in calmly sitting rabbits.     

Effect of psychotropic preparations on the behavior of inbred mice under emotional stress]

The effect of phenazepam and sydnocarb in doses of 0.05, 0.07 and 0.1 mg/kg or 6, 12 and 24 mg/kg, respectively, on the behaviour of C57BL/6, CBA and BALB/c mice, was studied in the "open field" test. Interlinear difference in the reaction of inbred animals to emotional stress and its phenazepam or sydnocarb correction were established.     

Effect of cyclic AMP on the excitation and response of command neurons responsible for the snail defensive behavior caused by sensory stimulation]

Extraneuronal application of db-cAMP or intraneuronal injection of cAMP were found to increase the neural membrane excitability and synaptic facilitation in neural responses to sensory stimulation of Lpl1 and Rpl1 neurones. The db-cAMP exerted no effects on neural responses to tactile stimulation of the snail foot or mantle. The intraneuronal injection of cAMP produced synaptic facilitation only in neural responses to quinine application to the snail head. The findings suggest the cAMP selective involvement in postsynaptic mechanisms of inducing the long-term facilitation transient stage.     

Effect of serotoninergic substances on escape behavior in acute stress situations

The data are provided on the effect of some serotoninergic substances on the avoidance behavior under acute stress. 5-Hydroxytryptophan, zimelidine (low doses), pyrenepyron, ciproheptadine, trazodon (high doses), produced a noticeable positive action on the behavior pattern under study. Quipazin and zimelidine (high doses) provoked an increase in the number of affective manifestations and a rise of the latent avoidance time. Regardless of an appreciable fall in the number of affective manifestations, the powerful sedative effect of m-chlorphenylpiperazine led to an increase in the latent response periods. It was shown that substances that produced a direct or mediated activation effect on the serotoninergic system had an appreciable favourable influence on the avoidance behavior, which was a consequence of a decrease in the animals' emotional excitement. Combination of serotonin-blocking properties (action on S2-autoreceptors) and dopaminergic properties brought about optimal results, provided that pyrenepyron was applied.     

Effect of hippocampal stimulation on the feeding behavior of cats

Influence of electrical stimulation (100 cps., 1.0 ms) of medial parts of dorsal and ventral hippocampus (field CA1), and the lateral parts of dorsal and posterior hippocampus (field CA3) on general behaviour, elaboration of instrumental and manifestation of delayed reactions was studied in chronic experiments on cats. Stimulation of medial parts of dorsal and ventral hippocampus elicited a reaction of orienting reflex type to natural stimuli. Stimulation of lateral parts of dorsal and posterior hippocampus evoked arrest reactions. Medial and lateral parts of hippocampus produced different influences on elaboration of conditioned reflexes. In the first case elaboration was possible, but developed slower, while in the second case the ability to learn during stimulation was completely lost due to development of arrest reaction. Stimulation of different parts of the hippocampus disturbed delayed reactions, reducing the number of correct responses.