Untersuchungen zum Aggressionsverhalten männlicher Ratten und zur Modulation der Aggressivität durch serotonerge Pharmaka unter Berücksichtigung weiterer Verhaltensweisen

Abstract

The central serotonergic (5-HT) system is the primary molecular determinant of aggression. However, its precise role in the predisposition for and execution of aggressive behavior remains unclear. Pharmacological studies showed that virtually all of the 5-HT receptor agonists that have anti-aggressive effects also affect other behaviors. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of the 5-HT1A receptor agonist S-15535 and the 5-HT1B receptor agonist CP-94,253 on the behavior of male Dark Agouti rats in the resident-intruder (RI) test and several social and non-social settings. The results of the present study suggest that the anti-aggressive effect of the two agonists depends on the individual level of aggression. S-15535 increased inactivity only in the RI test. CP-94,253 induced sedation since it decreased locomotor activity and explorative behaviors in nearly all behavioral tests. This problem of the behavioral specificity of drugs remains an area of future research.