DRUGS ACTING AT D-1 AND D-2 DOPAMINE-RECEPTORS INDUCE IDENTICAL PURPOSELESS CHEWING IN RATS WHICH CAN BE DIFFERENTIATED BY CHOLINERGIC MANIPULATION

Purposeless chewing in rats was dose dependently increased by acute administration of the dopamine D-1 receptor agonist SKF 38393 (5-20 mg/kg), the D-2 receptor antagonist sulpiride (10-100 mg/kg) and the D-2 receptor agonist quinpirole (0.05-0.25 mg/kg). Only high doses of the D-1 receptor antagonist SCH 23390 (1 and 5 mg/kg) induced purposeless chewing. SCH 23390 (0.05 mg/kg) blocked SKF 38393 (20 mg/kg)-induced purposeless chewing, but had no effect on the purposeless chewing induced by sulpiride (100 mg/kg) or quinpirole (0.1 mg/kg). A dose of SKF 38393 (5 mg/kg) which did not itself induce chewing, potentiated the increase in purposeless chewing observed after administration of sulpiride (100 mg/kg). Administration of SKF 38393 (20 mg/kg) and quinpirole (0.1 mg/kg) did not induce purposeless chewing but stereotyped licking was observed. Administration of sulpiride (100 mg/kg) with quinpirole (0.1 mg/kg) produced an incidence of purposeless chewing not different from that observed when either compound was administered alone. Acute administration of the cholinergic agonist pilocarpine (0.5-4.0 mg/kg) or the cholinesterase inhibitor physostigmine (0.05-0.2 mg/kg) increased the frequency of purposeless chewing in rats. Co-administration of pilocarpine (0.5 mg/kg) with sulpiride (100 mg/kg) increased the frequency of purposeless chewing above that seen when either compound was administered alone. Co-administration of pilocarpine (0.5 mg/kg) with SKF 38393 (20 mg/kg) increased the frequency of purposeless chewing in an additive manner. Co-administration of physostigmine (0.1 mg/kg) with sulpiride (100 mg/kg) but not SKF 38393 (20 mg/kg), increased the frequency of purposeless chewing above that observed when either compound was administered alone. Quinpirole (0.1 mg/kg)-induced purposeless chewing was not affected by co-administration with either pilocarpine (0.5 mg/kg) or physostigmine (0.1 mg/kg). The anticholinergic agent scopolamine (0.1 mg/kg) blocked the purposeless chewing induced by either SKF 38393 (20 mg/kg) or sulpiride (100 mg/kg), but had no effect on the purposeless chewing induced by quinpirole (0.1 mg/kg). Contrary to previous reports, acute manipulation of D-1 or D-2 receptor function can both enhance purposeless chewing behaviour in rats. These apparently identical behaviours can be differentiated by the response to cholinergic manipulation.