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Influence of social setting on the induction of brain cyclic AMP in response to electric shock in the rat

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Abstract

RATS subjected to electric footshock display two disparate behaviours, Escape-attempts or aggressive attack, depending on whether the rat is shocked alone or with a conspecific1. Different responses in blood pressure1, ACTH levels2, and brainstem noradrenaline turnover3 develop in these two patterns of behaviour. On the basis of these studies we hypothesised an additional differential response for brain cyclic AMP levels. We now report a 100% increase in whole brain cyclic AMP following shock-induced fighting but not after identical footshock given to isolated rats. This increase occurred with or without systemic pretreatment of the rats with caffeine, an inhibitor of phosphodiesterase, the enzyme which deactivates cyclic AMP.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, 94305

    BURR EICHELMAN, ELAINE ORENBERG, ELI SEAGRAVES & JACK BARCHAS

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  1. BURR EICHELMAN
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  2. ELAINE ORENBERG
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  3. ELI SEAGRAVES
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  4. JACK BARCHAS
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EICHELMAN, B., ORENBERG, E., SEAGRAVES, E. et al. Influence of social setting on the induction of brain cyclic AMP in response to electric shock in the rat. Nature 263, 433–434 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/263433a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/263433a0

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