BEHAVIORAL-RESPONSES TO THE 5-HT1A RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST NAN190 INJECTED INTO RAT CA1 HIPPOCAMPAL AREA

1. Behavioral responses to unilateral and bilateral microinjections of the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, NAN190 [1-(2-methoxyphenyl)-4-[4-(2-p hthalimio) butyl]piperazine hydrobromide] (1 mu g), into the hippocamp al CA1 area of male Wistar rats were studied. 2. NAN190 decreased loco motor activity (the number of horizontal and vertical movements). The effect was most pronounced with microinjections of NAN190 into the rig ht hippocampus. 3. Microinjections of NAN190 facilitated learning and memory in shuttle-box testing. 4. Microinjections of NAN190 had an anx iogenic effect in elevated plus-maze experiments and Vogel's conflict test. 5. The different behavioral responses to left and right microinj ections of NAN190 in some of the behavioral tests suggest functional a symmetry of 5-HT1A receptors in the CA1 hippocampal area. Copyright (C ) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.