BEHAVIORAL AND BIOCHEMICAL-CHANGES AFTER BILATERAL ELECTROLYTIC LESIONS OF THE RED NUCLEUS OF RAT

Bilateral electrolytic lesions of the red nucleus (RN) of rat decrease d apomorphine-induced stereotypy, increased haloperidol-induced catale psy, reversed apomorphine-induced hypothermy, decreased spiroperidol-i nduced hypomotility, and BHT-920-induced yawning and penile erection e pisodes. Moreover, apomorphine antagonized haloperidol-induced catalep sy in the RN-lesioned group. The lesioned animals revealed depleted le vels of dopamine and its metabolites in brain areas as well as seroton in and its metabolite. The brain areas analyzed were pyriform cortex, substantia nigra, striatum, enthorinal cortex, and cerebellum. Based o n these results, it is very likely that the RN has a complex role in t he behavior of rats as a consequence of dopaminergic-serotoninergic ch anges in the central nervous system.