Research Notes
Comparison of the Effects of Octopamine and Noradrenaline on Feeding and Sleep-like Behaviour in Fasted Chicks
2002 Volume 39 Issue 4 Pages 316-322
Details
2002 Volume 39 Issue 4 Pages 316-322
Octopamine, an important neurotransmitter in invertebrates, has noted several similarities with noradrenaline (NA) in mammals. To compare the effect of octopamine and NA in the central nervous system, food intake and categorized postures of fasted chicks were investigated after intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection. We found that ICV injection of NA significantly inhibited food intake of fasted chicks at 30 min postinjection, but not octopamine. Although chicks treated NA showed a tendency to be sleep-like behavior, octopamine significantly induced hyperactivity when compared with NA. The results presented here suggest that octopamine may also act on nervous system(s) without noradrenergic system in the brain of chicks.
