Degree Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
1991
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Ronald H. Peters
Abstract
Yohimbine, an alpha[subscript]2 noradrenergic antagonist, facilitates the copulatory behaviors of male rats when these behaviors have been associatively inhibited by lithium chloride induced aversive contingencies (the copulation-illness association or C-IA paradigm). This facilitation is not evident on initial acquisition trials, but only after inhibition of copulatory behaviors. This initial lack of facilitation may reflect a ceiling effect produced by high baseline levels of copulatory behaviors. Alternatively, the physiological state induced by yohimbine may initially attenuate the facilitory effects of the drug. In Experiment 1, the copulatory behaviors of male rats were partially inhibited prior to administration of yohimbine (2.0 mg/kg). Additionally, half of the subjects received yohimbine experience outside of the context of the copulation test. Yohimbine did not facilitate copulatory behaviors in animals whose copulatory behaviors had been partially inhibited or in animals with prior experience with the drug. These findings suggest that the failure of yohimbine to facilitate copulatory behaviors during initial C-IA acquisition trials cannot be attributed to either high baseline levels of copulatory behaviors or initial physiological effects of yohimbine. Experiment 2 examined the effects of a pharmacological manipulation (the dopaminergic antagonist apomorphine; 150, 300, and 450 ug/kg) known to facilitate copulatory behaviors in other paradigms. Apomorphine (150 ug/kg) facilitated copulatory behaviors in the C-IA paradigm during extinction but not acquisition. Non-copulatory effects (e.g., reinforcement, emetic) of apomorphine may attenuate the ability of this drug to facilitate copulatory behaviors in testing situations containing aversive elements.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.31274/rtd-180813-12428
Publisher
Digital Repository @ Iowa State University, http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/
Copyright Owner
Mark Patrick Bowes
Copyright Date
1991
Language
en
Proquest ID
AAI9202341
File Format
application/pdf
File Size
76 pages
Recommended Citation
Bowes, Mark Patrick, "Catecholaminergic manipulations of copulatory behaviors in male Rats " (1991). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 10020.
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/10020
Included in
Biological Psychology Commons, Experimental Analysis of Behavior Commons, Psychiatry and Psychology Commons