STUDY OF THE BEHAVIORAL-EFFECTS OF BILATERAL NUCLEUS-ACCUMBENS LESIONS ON AMPHETAMINE AND APOMORPHINE IN ADULT CATS

The aim of the present work was to study the effects of three differen t types of bilateral lesions pere formed on the nucleus accumbens, upo n the behaviors elicited in adult cats by parenteral administration of amphetamine and apomorphine, and to obtain an understanding of the fu nctional role played by the cited structure. To this end, 10 cats rece ived bilateral injections of 6-OHDA, 18 mu g in each accumbens; 8 cats received a similar treatment with ibotenic acid (20 mu g), and 11 cat s were submitted to bilateral electrolytic damage. Before and after pe rforming these lesions, in separate sessions, amphetamine (2.5 mg/kg S C) and apomorphine (2.0 mg/kg SC) were administered and their respecti ve behaviors were compared. Besides, in a group of 10 cats, 6 of them were bilaterally injected with the above cited dose of 6-OHDA into the accumbens to determine dopamine concentration and the other four serv ed as control. In three cats, ibotenic acid (20 mu g) was unilaterally injected into the accumbens for histological analysis. The contralate ral structure served as control. Finally, four cats were sham operated . The results obtained show that the accumbens in cats participates in locomotion, in stereotyped motor behaviors, and in emotional fear-lik e behavior. Its role in the production of motor behaviors apparently i s not as important as has been reported in rodents. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.