Authors: YankelevitchYahav Roni Joel Daphna
Publish Date: 2013/05/18
Volume: 230, Issue: 1, Pages: 37-48
Abstract
In comparison to studies of the involvement of the serotonergic dopaminergic and glutamatergic systems in the pathophysiology of obsessive–compulsive disorder OCD research on the involvement of the cholinergic system in this disorder has remained sparseThe aim of this study was to test the role of the cholinergic system in compulsive behavior using the signal attenuation rat model of OCD In this model “compulsive” behavior is induced by attenuating a signal indicating that a leverpress response was effective in producing foodThe acetylcholinesterase inhibitor physostigmine 005 010 and 015 mg/kg the nicotinic agonist nicotine 003 006 010 030 060 and 100 mg/kg the nicotinic antagonist mecamylamine 1 3 5 and 8 mg/kg the muscarinic agonist oxotremorine 00075 00150 and 00300 mg/kg and the muscarinic antagonist scopolamine 015 050 100 and 150 mg/kg were acutely administered to rats just before assessing their leverpress responding following signal attenuation experiments 1 3 5 7 and 9 respectively Because the effects of signal attenuation are assessed under extinction conditions drug doses that were effective in the above experiments were also tested in an extinction session of leverpress responding that was not preceded by signal attenuation experiments 2 4 6 8 and 10
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