The effects of an agonist and an antagonist of 5-HT1A serotonin receptors on the behavior of rats tested with a free choice of reinforcement value were studied. Depending on preference for food reinforcement, rats were divided into self-controlled animals (choosing the more valuable but delayed reinforcement) and impulsive (preferring the low-value but immediate reward). One hour before testing, animals received systemic doses of the 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg or the selective 5-HT1A antagonist WAY-100635 at a dose of 0.2 mg/kg. Study parameters included the number of presses on one pedal or the other, the latent periods of opening of the screen and pressing on the pedal, and the number of missed screen-moving and pedal-pressing responses. The results of these experiments showed that administration of these agents altered various parameters of the behavior of animals of both groups. Administration of the 5-HT1A agonist 8-OH-DPAT increased the number of pedal-presses to obtain the more valuable reinforcement in impulsive animals, while administration of the 5-HT1A antagonist WAY-100635 had no statistically significant effect on the behavior of the rats.
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Translated from Zhurnal Vysshei Nervnoi Deyatel’nosti imeni I. P. Pavlova, Vol. 62, No. 4, pp. 465–474, July–August, 2012.
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Zaichenko, M.I., Merzhanova, G.K. & Vanetsian, G.L. Effects of Selective 5-HT1A Receptor Ligands on Impulsive and Self-Controlled Behavior in Rats. Neurosci Behav Physi 43, 1068–1075 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11055-013-9851-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11055-013-9851-8