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Resident-Intruder Paradigms and Antiaggressive Drugs: Some Further Data

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Abstract

Treatment with a number of phenylpiperazine drugs induces a selective inhibition of attack behavior during resident-intruder encounters which has been interpreted as reflecting a drug-induced “serenic” state. Treatment with two well-characterized anxiogenic compounds (yohimbine, FG 7142), however, also closely mimicked the effects of phenylpiperazines on such attack. In addition, studies with two of the serenics revealed that they increased avoidance induced by novel stimuli (fluprazine) and/or nonaggressive conspecifics (fluprazine and eltoprazine). These data not only suggest that phenylpiperazines may be more properly characterized as anxiogenic, but the data also bring into question the usefulness of behavioral profiles derived exclusively from resident-intruder tests to infer anxiolytic or anxiogenic drug actions. Novelty-induced tearfulness is suggested to provide a useful instrument for the detection of generalized anxiolytic or anxiogenic effects whereas nonagonistic social interactions reveal more specific drug effects on reactivity to conspecifics. In addition, the fact that the attack-suppressing effects of fluprazine and yohimbine are also accompanied by increased sniffing behavior and altered conspecific odor preferences strongly suggests the need for a careful examination of olfactory function in the assessment of any putative antiaggressive drug.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Social Sciences, University of Minnesota-Morris, Morris, MN, 56267, USA

    Ernest D. Kemble & Joyce M. Rawleigh

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  1. Ernest D. Kemble
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  2. Joyce M. Rawleigh
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We thank B. Olivier who kindly supplied the fluprazine and eltoprazine used in these experiments.

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Kemble, E.D., Rawleigh, J.M. Resident-Intruder Paradigms and Antiaggressive Drugs: Some Further Data. Psychol Rec 41, 255–269 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03395109

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