Dopamine D2 Receptors Act Upstream of AVP in the Latero-anterior Hypothalamus to Modulate Adolescent Anabolic/androgenic Steroid-induced Aggression in Syrian Hamsters

Overview

Journal Behav Neurosci

Publisher American Psychological Association

Specialty Psychology

Date 2015 Mar 24

PMID 25798632

Citations 2

Authors

Thomas R Morrison

Lesley A Ricci

Richard H Melloni

Affiliations

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Abstract

In pubertal male Syrian hamsters, exposure to anabolic/androgenic steroids (AAS) during adolescence facilitates a high level of offensive aggression modulated by the enhanced development and activity of the vasopressin (AVP) and dopamine (DA) neural systems within the latero-anterior hypothalamus (LAH), that is, a brain region implicated in the control of aggression. The present studies provide a detailed report of the pharmacologic interactions between AVP and DA D2 receptor signaling within the LAH in the control of adolescent AAS-induced offensive aggression. Male Syrian hamsters were treated with AAS throughout adolescence and tested for aggression after local infusion of the DA D2 receptor antagonist eticlopride (ETIC) alone, or in combination with AVP in the LAH in an effort to determine the influence of DA D2 receptors relative to AVP-receptor mediated aggression mechanisms. As previously shown, ETIC infusion into the LAH suppressed adolescent AAS-induced aggressive responding; however, the AAS-induced aggressive phenotype was rescued by the coinfusion of AVP into the LAH. These behavioral data indicate that interactions between AVP and DA neural systems within the LAH modulate the control of aggression following adolescent exposure to AAS and that DA D2 receptor signaling functions upstream of AVP in the LAH to control this behavioral response.

Citing Articles

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Onakomaiya M, Henderson L Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2016; 233(4):549-69.

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Anabolic steroids alter the physiological activity of aggression circuits in the lateral anterior hypothalamus.

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