Abstract
A new method is described with which the effects of drugs on aggressive behaviour can be compared with their effects on general activity. Two groups of 3 male mice are housed in either half of a macrolon living cage which is divided down the middle by a non-transparent barrier. After 21 days the cage is placed on an activity meter and the dividing wall is removed. The ensuing fighting is scored by an observer and at the same time activity is measured using the activity meter.
It was shown that aggression occurred mainly between groups with the dominant members doing most of the fighting. It appeared further that the two parameters measured —aggression and motor activity—respond differentially to the effects of standard psychotropic drugs. By this means it was possible to distinguish between the effects of chlorpromazine, pentobarbitone, chlordiazepoxide and d-amphetamine. In addition it was possible to confirm that an experimental compound, YG 19-256, which in other tests has been shown to inhibit aggressive behaviour without causing general sedation, also has selective anti-aggressive effects in this test. From these results it seems that the intergroup aggression test could well be useful in identifying different classes of psychotropic agents.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bradley, D. W. M., Joyce, D., Murphy, E. H., Nash, B. M., Porsolt, R. D., Summerfield, A., Twyman, W. A.: Amphetamine-barbiturate mixtures: effects on the behaviour of mice. Nature (Lond.) 220, 187–188 (1968)
Chance, M. R. A.: Factors influencing the toxicity of sympathomimetic amines to solitary mice. J. Pharmacol. exp. Ther. 89, 289–296 (1947)
Chen, G., Bohner, B., Bratton, A. C.: The influence of certain central depressants on fighting behavior of mice. Arch. int. Pharmacodyn. 142, 30–34 (1963)
Cole, H. F., Wolf, H. H.: The effects of some psychotropic drugs on conditioned avoidance and aggressive behaviours. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 8, 389–396 (1966)
Cook, L., Weidley, E.: Effects of a series of psychopharmacological agents on isolation-induced attack behavior in mice. Fed. Proc. 19, 22 (1960)
Davanzo, J. P., Daugherty, M., Ruckart, R., Kang, L.: Pharmacological and biochemical studies in isolation-induced fighting mice. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 9, 210–219 (1966)
Dews, P. B.: The measurement of the influence of drugs on the voluntary activity in mice. Brit. J. Pharmacol. 8, 46–48 (1953)
Dimascio, A.: The effects of benzodiazepines on aggression: reduced or increased? Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 30, 95–102 (1973)
Grant, E. C., Mackintosh, J. H.: A comparison of the social postures of some common laboratory rodents. Behaviour 21, 246–259 (1963)
Hoffmeister, F., Wuttke, W.: On the actions of psychotropic drugs on the attack and aggressive-defensive behaviour of mice and cats. In: Aggressive behaviour. S. Garattini and E. B. Sigg, eds., pp. 273–280. Amsterdam: Excerpta Medica 1969
Janssen, P. A. J., Jagenau, A. H., Neimegeers, C. J. E.: Effects of various drugs on isolation-induced fighting behavior of male mice. J. Pharmacol. exp. Ther. 129, 471–475 (1960)
Karczmar, A. G.: Neurophysiological, behavioral and neurochemical correlates of the central cholinergic synapses. In: Advances in neuropharmacology, O. Vinar, Z. Votava, and P. B. Bradley, eds., pp. 455–480. Amsterdam: North Holland Publishing Company 1971
Krsiak, M.: Aggressivity and behavioural changes evoked by drugs in mice. Res. Comm. Chem. Path. Pharmacol. 2, 237–257 (1974)
Ledouarec, J.-C., Broussy, L.: Dissociation of the aggressive behaviour in mice produced by certain drugs. In: Aggressive behaviour, S. Garattini and E. B. Sigg, eds., pp. 281–295. Amsterdam: Excerpta Medica 1969
Litchfield, J. T., Wilcoxon, F.: A simplified method of evaluating dose-effect experiments. J. Pharmacol. exp. Ther. 96, 99–113 (1949)
Loew, D. M., Zwirner, P.: YG 19-256: A new indenopyridine interfering with aggressive behaviour in animals. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 26 (Suppl.), 54 (1972)
Moore, K. E.: Toxicity and catecholamine releasing actions of d- and l-amphetamine in isolated and aggregated mice. J. Pharmacol. exp. Ther. 142, 6–12 (1963)
Poole, T. B., Morgan, H. D. R.: Differences in aggressive behaviour between male mice (mus musculus L.) in colonies of different sizes. Anim. Behav. 21, 788–795 (1973)
Porsolt, R. D., Loew, D. M.: The effects of drugs on aggressive and lever pressing behaviour in squirrel monkeys. J. Pharmacol. (Paris), 5 (Suppl. 2), 79 (1974)
Roubicek, J., Klos, A., Tschudin, A.: YG 19-256: EEG and clinical study in aggressive oligophrenics. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 26 (Suppl.), 71 (1972)
Sofia, R. D.: Effects of centrally active drugs on four models of experimentally induced aggression in rodents. Life Sci. 8, 705–716 (1969)
Tedeschi, R. E., Tedeschi, D. H., Mucha, A., Cook, L., Mattis, P. A., Fellows, E. J.: Effects of various centrally acting drugs on fighting behavior of mice. J. Pharmacol. exp. Ther. 125, 28–31 (1959)
Valzelli, L.: Aggressive behaviour induced by isolation. In: Aggressive behaviour, S. Garattini and E. B. Sigg, eds., pp. 70–76. Amsterdam: Excerpta Medica 1969
Valzelli, L.: The ‘isolation syndrome’ in mice. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 31, 305–320 (1973)
Valzelli, L., Giacalone, E., Garattini, S.: Pharmacological control of aggressive behaviour in mice. Europ. J. Pharmacol. 2, 144–146 (1967)
Welch, B. L., Welch, A. S.: Aggression and the biogenic amine neurohumors. In: Aggressive behaviour, S. Garattini and E. B. Siggs, eds., pp. 188–202. Amsterdam: Excerpta Medica 1969
Yen, C. Y., Stanger, L., Millman, N.: Ataractic suppression of isolation-induced aggressive behavior. Arch. int. Pharmacodyn. 123, 179–185 (1959)
Zbinden, G., Randall, L. O.: Pharmacology of benzodiazepines: laboratory and clinical correlations. Advanc. Pharmacol. 5, 213–291 (1967)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zwirner, P.P., Porsolt, R.D. & Loew, D.M. Inter-group aggression in mice. Psychopharmacologia 45, 133–138 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00429051
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00429051