The effects of dopamine receptor 1 and 2 agonists and antagonists on sexual and aggressive behaviors in male green anoles. 2017

Alexandra N Smith, and David Kabelik
Department of Biology, Rhodes College, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America.

The propensity to exhibit social behaviors during interactions with same-sex and opposite-sex conspecifics is modulated by various neurotransmitters, including dopamine. Dopamine is a conserved neurotransmitter among vertebrates and dopaminergic receptors are also highly conserved among taxa. Activation of D1 and D2 dopamine receptor subtypes has been shown to modulate social behaviors, especially in mammalian and avian studies. However, the specific behavioral functions of these receptors vary across taxa. In reptiles there have been few studies examining the relationship between dopaminergic receptors and social behaviors. We therefore examined the effects of D1 and D2 agonists and antagonists on sexual and aggressive behaviors in the male green anole lizard (Anolis carolinensis). Treatment with high doses of both D1 and D2 agonists was found to impair both sexual and aggressive behaviors. However, the D1 agonist treatment was also found to impair motor function, suggesting that those effects were likely nonspecific. Lower doses of both agonists and antagonists failed to affect social behaviors. These findings provide some evidence for D2 receptor regulation of social behaviors, but in contrast with previous research, these effects are all inhibitory and no effects were found for manipulations of D1 receptors. A potential reason for the lack of more widespread effects on social behaviors using moderate or low drug doses is that systemic injection of drugs resulted in effects throughout the whole brain, thus affecting counteracting circuits which negated one another, making measurable changes in behavioral output difficult to detect. Future studies should administer drugs directly into brain regions known to regulate sexual and aggressive behaviors.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008116 Lizards Reptiles within the order Squamata that generally possess limbs, moveable EYELIDS, and EXTERNAL EAR openings, although there are some species which lack one or more of these structures. Chameleons,Geckos,Chameleon,Gecko,Lizard
D008297 Male Males
D009043 Motor Activity Body movements of a human or an animal as a behavioral phenomenon. Activities, Motor,Activity, Motor,Motor Activities
D005260 Female Females
D000374 Aggression Behavior which may be manifested by destructive and attacking action which is verbal or physical, by covert attitudes of hostility or by obstructionism. Aggressions
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012726 Sexual Behavior, Animal Sexual activities of animals. Mating Behavior, Animal,Sex Behavior, Animal,Animal Mating Behavior,Animal Mating Behaviors,Animal Sex Behavior,Animal Sex Behaviors,Animal Sexual Behavior,Animal Sexual Behaviors,Mating Behaviors, Animal,Sex Behaviors, Animal,Sexual Behaviors, Animal
D012919 Social Behavior Any behavior caused by or affecting another individual or group usually of the same species. Sociality,Behavior, Social,Behaviors, Social,Social Behaviors
D017447 Receptors, Dopamine D1 A subfamily of G-PROTEIN-COUPLED RECEPTORS that bind the neurotransmitter DOPAMINE and modulate its effects. D1-class receptor genes lack INTRONS, and the receptors stimulate ADENYLYL CYCLASES. Dopamine D1 Receptors,Dopamine-D1 Receptor,D1 Receptors, Dopamine,Dopamine D1 Receptor,Receptor, Dopamine-D1
D017448 Receptors, Dopamine D2 A subfamily of G-PROTEIN-COUPLED RECEPTORS that bind the neurotransmitter DOPAMINE and modulate its effects. D2-class receptor genes contain INTRONS, and the receptors inhibit ADENYLYL CYCLASES. Dopamine D2 Receptors,Dopamine-D2 Receptor,D2 Receptors, Dopamine,Dopamine D2 Receptor,Receptor, Dopamine-D2

Related Publications

Alexandra N Smith, and David Kabelik
February 1994, Nihon shinkei seishin yakurigaku zasshi = Japanese journal of psychopharmacology,
Alexandra N Smith, and David Kabelik
December 1990, European journal of pharmacology,
Alexandra N Smith, and David Kabelik
January 1989, Psychopharmacology,
Alexandra N Smith, and David Kabelik
November 1989, European journal of pharmacology,
Alexandra N Smith, and David Kabelik
January 1990, Proceedings of the Western Pharmacology Society,
Alexandra N Smith, and David Kabelik
January 1992, Methods and findings in experimental and clinical pharmacology,
Alexandra N Smith, and David Kabelik
July 1986, Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior,
Alexandra N Smith, and David Kabelik
March 1998, Psychopharmacology,
Copied contents to your clipboard!