Abstract
Adult male Swiss-Webster mice were housed either singly (isolated) or with a female (nonisolated). Aggressive behavior was evoked by introducing a group-housed male mouse (intruder) into the home cage of the isolated or nonisolated mouse (resident). d-Amphetamine, methamphetamine, methylphenidate, cocaine, and l-dopa decreased attack and threat behavior by resident mice, the isolates requiring 2–4 times higher drug doses for the antiaggressive effects than the nonisolates. d-Amphetamine, methamphetamine, and methylphenidate caused intruder mice to be more frequently attacked by their nontreated resident opponents, to escape more often, to assume the defensive upright posture less, and to move about more often. l-Dopa nonspecifically decreased all elements of agonistic and nonagonistic behavior, while the amphetamines and methylphenidate suppressed attacks, increased escapes, decreased upright postures, and increased nonagonistic locomotion. By contrast, cocaine's antiaggressive effects were remarkably specific, i.e., not accompanied by changes in other behavioral elements.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Borgesova, M., Kadlecova, O., Krsiak, M.: Behaviour of untreated mice to alcohol-or chlordiazepoxide-treated partners. Activitas Nervosa Superior 13, 206–207 (1971)
Brunaud, M., Siou, G.: Action de substances psychotropies, chez le rat, sur un état d'agressivité provoquée. In: Neuro-psychopharmacology, P. B. Bradley, P. Demiker, and C. Radouco-Thomas, eds., pp. 282–286. Amsterdam: Elsevier 1959
Cairns, R. B., Scholz, S. D.: Fighting in mice: dyadic escalation and what is learned. J. Comp. Physiol. Psychol. 85, 540–550 (1973)
Chance, M. R. A., Silverman, A. P.: The structure of social behaviour and drug action. In: Animal behavior and drug action, CIBA Symposium, H. Steinberg and A. V. S. de Reuck, eds., pp. 65–79. London: Churchill 1964
Charpentier, J.: Analysis and measurement of aggressive behaviour in mice. In: Aggressive behaviour, S. Garattini and E. B. Sigg, eds., pp. 86–100. Amsterdam: Excerpta Medica 1969
Consolo, S., Garattini, S., Valzelli, L.: Amphetamine toxicity in aggressive mice. J. Pharm. Pharmacol. 17, 53 (1965)
Crowley, T. J.: Dose-dependent facilitation or suppression of rat fighting by methamphetamine, phenobarbital, or imipramine. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 27, 213–222 (1972)
Emley, G. S., Hutchinson, R. R.: Basis of behavioral influence of chlorpromazine. Life Sci. 11, 43–47 (1972)
Everett G. M.: Some electrophysiological and biochemical correlates of motor activity and aggressive behavior. In: Neuropsychopharmacology E. Rothlin, ed., pp. 479–484, Amsterdam: Elsevier 1961
Grant, E. C., Mackintosh, J. H.: A comparison of the social postures of some laboratory rodents. Behaviour 21, 246–259 (1963)
Hodge, G. K., Butcher, L. L.: Catecholamine correlates of isolation-induced aggression in mice. Eur. J. Pharmacol. 31, 81–93 (1975)
Hoffmeister, F., Wuttke, W.: On the actions of psychotropic drugs on the attack and aggressive-defensive behaviour of mice and cats. In: Aggressive behaviour, S. Garattini and E. B. Sigg, eds., pp. 273–280. Amsterdam: Excerpta Medica 1969
Hutchinson, R. R., Emley, G. S., Krasnegor, N. A.: The effects of cocaine on the aggressive behavior of mice, pigeons and squirrel monkeys. In: Cocaine and other stimulants, E. H. Ellinwood, Jr., and M. M. Kilbey, eds., pp. 457–480. New York: Plenum 1977
Karczmar, A. G., Scudder, C. L.: Aggression and neurochemical changes in different strains and genera of mice. In: Aggressive behaviour, S. Garattini and E. B. Sigg, eds., pp. 209–227. Amsterdam: Excerpta Medica 1969
Kletzkin, M.: An experimental analysis of aggressive-defensive behaviour in mice. In: Aggressive behaviour, S. Garattini and E. B. Sigg, eds., pp. 253–262. Amsterdam: Excerpta Medica 1969
Krsiak, M.: Behavioral changes and aggressivity evoked by drugs in mice. Res. Commun. Chem. Path. Pharmacol. 7, 237–257 (1974)
Krsiak, M.: Timid singly-housed mice: their value in prediction of psychotropic activity of drugs. Br. J. Pharmacol. 55, 141–150 (1975)
Krsiak, M., Steinberg, H.: Psychopharmacological aspects of aggression: a review of the literature and some new experiments. J. Psychosom. Res. 13, 243–252 (1969)
Lal, H., Defeo, J. J., Thut, P.: Effect of amphetamine on paininduced aggression. Commun. Behav. Biol. 1, 333–335 (1968)
Lammers, A. J. J. C., van Rossum, J. M.: Bizarre social behaviour in rats induced by a combination of a peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor and dopa. Eur. J. Pharmacol. 5, 103–106 (1968)
Lyon, M., Robbins, T.: The action of central nervous system stimulant drugs: a general theory concerning amphetamine effects. In: Current developments in psychopharmacology, vol. II, W. B. Essman and L. Valzelli, eds., pp. 81–163. New York: Spectrum 1975
Miczek, K. A.: Intraspecies aggression in rats: effects of d-amphetamine and chlordiazepoxide. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 39, 275–301 (1974)
Miczek, K. A.: A behavioral analysis of aggressive behaviors induced and modulated by Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, pilocarpine, d-amphetamine and l-dopa. Activitas Nervosa Superior 19, 224–225 (1977a)
Miczek, K. A.: Effects of l-dopa, d-amphetamine and cocaine on intruder evoked aggression in rats and mice. Progr. Neuro-Psychopharmacol. (in press, 1977b)
Miczek, K. A.: Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol: Antiaggressive effects in mice, rats, and squirrel monkeys. Science (in press, 1978)
Miczek, K. A., Barry, H.: 55-3 and aggressive behavior in rats. Behav. Biol. 11, 261–267 (1974)
Miczek, K. A., Barry, H.: Pharmacology of sex and aggression. In: Behavioral pharmacology, S. D. Glick and J. Goldfarb, eds., pp. 176–257. St. Louis: C. V. Mosby 1976
Miczek, K. A., Barry, H.: Effects of alcohol on attack and defensive-submissive reactions in rats. Psychopharmacology, 52, 231–237 (1977)
Moore, M. S., Thompson, D. M.: Effects of cocaine on extinction-induced aggression. Fed. Proc. 36, 1044 (1977)
Randrup, A., Munkvad, I.: Stereotyped activities produced by amphetamine in several animal species and man. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 11, 300–310 (1967)
Randrup, A., Munkvad, I.: Relation of brain catecholamines to aggressiveness and other forms of behavioral excitation. In: Aggressive behaviour, S. Garattini and E. B. Sigg, eds., pp. 228–235. Amsterdam: Excerpta Medica 1969
Richardson, D., Karczmar, A. G., scudder, C. L.: Intergeneric behavirol differences among methamphetamine treated mice. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 25, 347–375 (1972)
Rolinski, Z.: Analysis of aggressiveness-stereotypy complex induced in mice by amphetamine or nialamide and l-dopa. Pol. J. Pharmacol. Pharm. 25, 551–558 (1973)
Schiørring, E., Randrup, A.: Social isolation and changes in the formation of groups induced by amphetamine in an open field test with rats. In: Advances in neuro-psychopharmacology, O. Vinar, Z. Votava, and P. B. Bradley, eds., pp. 285–298. London: Avicenum 1971
Scott, J. P., Fredericson, E.: The causes of fighting in mice and rats. Physiol. Zoology 24, 273–309 (1951)
Scott, J. P., Lee, C., Ho, J. E.: Effects of fighting, genotype, and amphetamine sulfate on body temperature of mice. J. Comp. Physiol. Psychol. 76, 349–352 (1971)
Select Committe on Crime, House of Representatives, 91st Congress, 2nd Session: Amphetamines, Fourth Report. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office 1971
Sheard, M. H.: The effects of amphetamine on attack behavior in the cat. Brain Res. 5, 330–338 (1967)
Sheard, M. H.: Aggressive behaviour: modification by amphetamine, p-chlorophenylalanine and lithium in rats. Agressologie 14, 323–326 (1973)
Siegel, S.: Nonparametric statistics for the behavioral sciences. New York: McGraw-Hill 1956
Valzelli, L.: Aggressive behaviour induced by isolation. In: Aggressive behaviour, S. Garattini and E. B. Sigg, eds., pp. 70–76. Amsterdam: Excerpta Medica 1969
Valzelli, L.: The “isolation syndrome” in mice. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 31, 305–320 (1973)
Valzelli, L., Giacalone, E., Garattini, S.: Pharmacological control of aggressive behavior in mice. Eur. J. Pharmacol. 2, 144–146 (1967)
Vander Wende, C., Spoerlein, M. T.: Psychotic symptoms induced in mice by the intravenous administration of solutions of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (dopa). Arch. Int. Pharmacodyn. Ther. 137, 145–154 (1962)
Weischer, M. L.: Einfluß von Anorektica der Amphetaminreihe auf das Verhalten des Siamesischen Kampffisches Betta Splendens. Arzneim. Forsch. 16, 1310–1311 (1966)
Welch, A. S., Welch, B. L.: Isolation, reactivity and aggression: Evidence for an involvement of brain catecholamines and serotonin. In: The physiology of aggression and defeat, B. E. Elftheriou and J. P. Scott, eds., pp. 91–142. New York: Plenum 1971
Welch, B. L., Welch, A. S.: Graded effect of social stimulation upon d-amphetamine toxicity, aggressiveness and heart and adrenal weight. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 151, 331–338 (1966)
Welch, B. L., Welch, A. S.: Aggression and the biogenic amine neurohumors. In: Aggressive behaviour, S. Garattini and E. B. Sigg, eds., pp. 188–202. Amsterdam: Excerpta Medica 1969
Yen, C. I., Stanger, R. L., Millman, N.: Ataractic suppression of isolation-induced aggressive behavior. Arch. Int. Pharmacodyn. Ther. 123, 179–185 (1959)
Yen, H. C. Y., Katz, M. H., Krop S.: Effects of various drugs on 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (dl-dopa)-induced excitation (aggressive behavior) in mice. Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 17, 597–604 (1970)
Zwirner, P. P., Porsolt, R. D., Loew, D. M.: Inter-group aggression in mice. A new method for testing the effects of centrally active drugs. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 45, 133–138 (1975)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Miczek, K.A., O'Donnell, J.M. Intruder-evoked aggression in isolated and nonisolated mice: Effects of psychomotor stimulants and l-Dopa. Psychopharmacology 57, 47–55 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00426957
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00426957