Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of Naloxone and Shock Intensity on Variable-Cycle Avoidance Performance in Rats

  • Published:
The Psychological Record Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

After extensive training on a variable cycle 15-s schedule of shock avoidance, rats were exposed to shock intensity variations from 0.1 to 0.8 mA. In addition, prior to each session rats received injections of a moderate dose of the opiate antagonist, naloxone (3 mg/kg), or saline vehicle. Response rates and percentage of shocks avoided increased with increasing shock intensity for all three rats. At the high shock intensities naloxone depressed response rates and percentage of avoidance. This naloxone-induced impairment of avoidance was particularly evident in the latter part of the 1-hr sessions. However, at the lower shock intensities, naloxone had no effect for two animals and appeared to increase performance in the third rat. Effects of naloxone on variable-cycle avoidance thus depended on the programmed shock intensity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • AMIR, S., & AMIT, Z. (1978). Endogenous opioid ligands may mediate stress-induced changes in the affective properties of pain related behavior in rats. Life Sciences, 23, 1143–1152.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • BOLLES, R. C., & FANSELOW, M. S. (1982). Endorphins and behavior. Annual Review of Psychology, 33, 87–101.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • BUCHSBAUM, M. S., DAVIS, G. C., Naber, D., & PICKAR, D. (1983). Pain enhances naloxone-induced hyperalgesia in humans as assessed by somatosensory evoked potentials. Psychopharmacology, 103, 99–103.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DEWAARD, R. J., Galizio, M., & BARON, A. (1979). Chained schedules of avoidance: Reinforcement within and by avoidance situations. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 32, 399–407.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • DEVILLIERS, P. A. (1972). Reinforcement and response rate interaction in multiple random-interval avoidance schedules. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 18, 499–507.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DINGLEDINE, R., IVERSEN, L. L., & BREUKER, E. (1978). Naloxone as a Gaba antagonist: Evidence from iontophoretic, receptor binding, and convulsant studies. European Journal of Pharmacology, 47, 19–27.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • DYKSTRA, L. A., & MCMILLAN, D. E. (1977). Electric shock titration: Effects of morphine, methadone, pentazocine, nalorphine, naloxone, diazepam, and amphetamine. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therepeutics, 202, 660–669.

    Google Scholar 

  • FANSELOW, M. S., & BAACKES, M. P. (1982). Conditioned fear-induced opiate analgesia on the formalin: Evidence for two aversive motivational systems. Learning and Motivation, 13, 200–221.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • FANSELOW, M. S., & BOLLES, R. C. (1979). Naloxone and shock-elicited freezing in the rat. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 93, 736–744.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • GALIZIO, M., Gore, S., & SANDERSON, P. (1983). Effects of naloxone on acquisition and extinction of jump-up avoidance behavior in rats. Learning and Motivation, 14, 48–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • GALIZIO, M., SMALTZ, S. C., & SPENCER, B. A. (in press). Effects of ethanol and naltrexone on free-operant behavior in rats. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and behavior.

  • GREVERT, P., & GOLDSTEIN, A. (1978). Naloxone fails to alter experimental pain or mood in humans. Science, 199, 1093–1095.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • HOLTZMAN, S. G. (1976). Effects of morphine and narcotic antagonists on avoidance behavior of the squirrel monkey. The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 196, 145–155.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • HOLTZMAN, S. G., & JEWETT, R. E. (1973). Stimulation of behavior in the rat by cyclazocine: Effects of naloxone. The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 187, 380–390.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • HYSON, R. L., ASHCRAFT, L. J., DRUGAN, R. C., GRAU, J. W., & MAIER, S. F. (1982). Extent and control of shock affects naltrexone sensitivity of stress-induced analgesia and reactivity to morphine. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior, 17, 1019–1025.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • KOOB, G. F., LEMOAL, M., & BLOOM, F. E. (1981). Enkephalin and endorphin influences on appetitive and aversive conditioning. In J. L. Martinez, R. A. Jensen, R. B. Messing, H. Rigter, & J. L. McGaugh (Eds.), Endogenous peptides and learning and memory processes (pp. 249–268). New York: Academic Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • KOSTOWSKI, W., & PLAZNICK, A. (1979). Naloxone-induced facilitation of conditioned avoidance behavior in rats. Polish Journal of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, 31, 293–296.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • LEWIS, J. W., CANNON, J. T., & LIEBESKIND, J. C. (1980). Opioid and nonopioid mechanisms of stress analgesia. Science, 208, 623–625.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • MAIER, S. F., SHERMAN, J. E., LEWIS, J. W., TERMAN, G. W., & LIEBESKIND, J. C. (1983). The opioid/nonopioid nature of stress-induced analgesia and learned helplessness. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 9, 80–90.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • MESSING, R. B., Jensen, R. A., MARTINEZ, J. L., SPEIHLER, V. R., Vasquez, B. J. SOUMIREU-MOURAT, B., LIANG, K. C., & MCGAUGH, J. L. (1979). Naloxone enhancement of memory. Behavioral and Neural Biology, 27, 266–275.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • RIESS, D., (1970). Sidman avoidance in rats as a function of shock intensity and duration. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 73, 481–485.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • SAWYNOK, J., PINSKY, C., & LABELLA, F. S. (1979). Minireview on the specificity of naloxone as an opiate antagonist. Life Sciences, 16, 1621–1631.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SNELL, D., FELLER, D., BYLUND, D., & HARRIS, R. A. (1982). Sensitization produced by repeated administration of naloxone is blocked by food deprivation. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 221, 444–452.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • WILLER, J. C., DEHEN, H., & CAMBIER, J. (1981). Stress-induced analgesia in humans: Endogenous opioids and naloxone-reversible depression of pain reflexes. Science, 212, 689–691.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • WRAY, S. R., & COWAN, A. (1972). The effects of naloxone, chlorpromazine, and halperidol pretreatment on levallorphan-induced disruption of rat’s operant behavior. Psychophar-macologia, 26, 261–270.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Polly E. Sanderson

    Present address: University of Wyoming, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Wilmington, NC, 28406, USA

    Mark Galizio & Polly E. Sanderson

Authors
  1. Mark Galizio
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Polly E. Sanderson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

This research was supported in part by Grant #RII-8308469 from the National Science Foundation.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Galizio, M., Sanderson, P.E. Effects of Naloxone and Shock Intensity on Variable-Cycle Avoidance Performance in Rats. Psychol Rec 35, 213–220 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03394927

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03394927

Search

Navigation