Abstract
A lever-lifting response by Dutch Belted and New Zealand White rabbits was maintained in water-deprived animals by 0.25% saccharin solution and in food-deprived animals by food pellets under a multiple 3-min fixed-interval (FI) 30-response fixed-ratio (FR) schedule. Rabbits responding for the saccharin solution had food freely available during the session and in the home cage, whereas those responding for pellets had water continuously available during the session as well as in the home cage. Under nondrug conditions the FR and FI schedules controlled different rates and patterns of responding in the rabbit that were characteristic of those found with other species. In addition, eating or drinking occurred during the inital portion of the FI under the saccharin solution and initial food presentation schedules, respectively. Doses of d-amphetamine (0.1–10.0 mg/kg) increased responding under the FI and FR schedules of food delivery, but increased only FI responding maintained by the saccharin solution. Doses of 3.0–10.0 mg/kg d-amphetamine produced extremely high (300–800% of control) rates of stereotyped perseverative lever responding. Schedule-related eating or drinking were unaffected or decreased at doses of d-amphetamine that increased schedule-controlled responding. Chlorpromazine (0.03–0.3 mg/kg) increased FI responding maintained both by saccharin and food, whereas FR responding generally was unaffected at these dose levels; eating but not drinking was increased with chlorpromazine. Since the behavioral effects of drugs such as amphetamine and chlorpromazine differ somewhat in the rabbit from those found with other typically studied nonhuman mammals, further studies with the rabbit may yield useful information for comparative behavioral pharmacology.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Angle HV (1973) Role of chlorpromazine in maintaining timing behavior in chronic schizophrenics. Psychopharmacologia 28:185–194
Byrd LD (1973) Effects of d-amphetamine on schedule-controlled key pressing and drinking in the chimpanzee. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 185:633–641
Byrd LD (1974) Modification of the effects of chlorpromazine on behavior in the chimpanzee. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 189:24–32
Cook L, Kelleher RT (1962) Drug effects on the behavior of animals. Ann NY Acad Sci 96:315–335
Dantzer R (1977) Behavioral effects of benzodiazepines: A review. Biobehav Rev 1:71–86
Dews PB, DeWeese J (1977) Schedules of reinforcement. In: Iversen LL, Iversen SD, Snyder SH (eds) Handbook of psychopharmacology, vol 7. Plenum, New York, pp 107–150
Ettenberg A, Koob GF, Bloom FE (1981) Response artifact in the measurement of neuroleptic-induced anhedonia. Science 213:357–359
Falk JL (1971) The nature and determinants of adjunctive behavior. Physiol Behav 6:577–588
Ferster CB (1953) The use of the free operant in the analysis of behavior. Psychol Bull 50:263–274
Graeff FG, Arisawa EAL (1978) Effects of intracerebroventricular bradykinin, angiotension II, and substance P on multiple fixed-interval fixed-ratio responding in rabbits. Psychopharmacology 57:89–95
Hanson HM, Witoslawski JJ, Campbell EH (1967) Drug effects in squirrel monkeys trained on a multiple schedule with a punishment contingency. J Exp Anal Behav 10:565–569
Hoebel BG (1977) The psychopharmacology of feeding. In: Iversen LL, Iversen SD, Snyder SH (eds) Handbook of psychopharmacology, vol 8. Plenum, New York, pp 55–129
Inman DP, Cheney CD (1974) Functional variables in fixed-ratio pausing with rabbits. Psychol Rep 24:193–202
Kelleher RT, Morse WH (1964) Escape behavior and punished behavior. Fed Proc 23:808–817
Lyon M, Randrup A (1972) The dose-response effect of amphetamine upon avoidance behavior in the rat seen as a function of increasing stereotype. Psychopharmacologia 23:334–347
Lyon M, Robbins T (1975) The action of central nervous system stimulant drugs: A general theory concerning amphetamine effects. In: Essman WB, Valzelli L (eds) Current developments in psychopharmacology, vol 2. Spectrum, New York, pp 79–163
McKearney JW, Barrett JE (1978) Schedule-controlled behavior and the effects of drugs. In: Blackman DE, Sanger DJ (eds) Contemporary research in behavioral pharmacology. Plenum, New York, pp 1–68
McMillan DE, Leander JD (1976) Effects of drugs on schedule-controlled behavior. In: Glick SD, Goldfarb J (eds) Benavioral pharmacology. Mosby, St. Louis, pp 85–139
Melo JC, Graeff FG (1975) Effects of intracerebroventricular bradykinin and related peptides on rabbit operant behavior. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 193:1–10
Randrup A, Munkvad I (1967) Stereotyped activities produced by amphetamine in several animal species and man. Psychopharmacologia 11:300–310
Randrup A, Munkvad I (1970) Biochemical, anatomical and psychological investigations of stereotyped behavior inhibited by amphetamines. In: Costa E, Garattini s (eds) Amphetamines and related compounds. Raven, New York, pp 695–713
Rubin HB, Brown HJ (1969) The rabbit as a subject in behavioral research. J Exp Anal Behav 12:663–667
Sanger DJ, Blackman DE (1978) Effects of drugs on adjunctive behavior. In: Blackman DE, Sanger DJ (eds) Contemporary research in behavioral pharmacology. Plenum, New York, pp 239–287
Wise RA, Dawson V (1974) Diazepam-induced eating and lever pressing for food in sated rats. J Comp Physiol Psychol 86:930–941
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Barrett, J.E., Stanley, J.A. Effects of chlorpromazine and d-amphetamine on schedule-controlled and schedule-related behavior of rabbits. Psychopharmacology 78, 197–203 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00428150
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00428150