Participation of the Cholinergic System in the Excessive Grooming Behavior Induced by Neuropeptide (N) Glutamic Acid (E) Isoleucine (I) Amide (NEI)

VICTORIA BERBERIAN, MÓNICA SILVINA SANCHEZ AND MARÍA ESTER CELIS

NEUROCHEMICAL RESEARCH

SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS

Año: 2002 vol. 27 p. 1713 - 1717

0364-3190

The neuropeptide (N) glutamic acid (E) isoleucine (I) amide (NEI) injected into the ventral tegmental area (VTA) or intraventricularly (icv) induces excessive grooming behavior (EGB) and motor activity (MA). Here, we studied whether the cholinergic system is involved in the NEI-induced behavior. The present results demonstrate that atropine, a general muscarinic antagonist, injected icv previous to NEI, suppresses the behavior provoked by icv injections of the peptide, whereas the prior icv injection of dyhidro-erythroidine, a general nicotinic antagonist, did not affect the EGB and MA induced by the peptide. From the experimental evidence, it is suggested that NEI may act specifically on a cholinergic afferent to dopaminergic cells. Also, the results appear to indicate that a neural target, different from the dopamine system, may be activated by the peptide to elicit behavioral changes, such as EGB.