Measurement of acute and chronic behavioural effects of methamphetamine in the mouse

Abstract

A simple and reliable method was developed for rating the dose-related behavioural effects of methamphetamine in male Swiss Albino mice for acute or chronic drug treatment. This procedure was based on a frequency count of certain behaviours made at 15-min intervals over a 90-min period following drug administration. The Fisher Randomization procedure was adapted to analyze behavioural data for the chronic studies. Clear-cut, dose-related behavioural responses occurred following acute (+)-methamphetamine administration and ranged from decreased quiescence (0.64 mg/kg) through increased locomotor activity (2.5 mg/kg), a mixture of stereotyped behaviour and increased locomotor activity (5.0 and 7.5 mg/kg), to primarily stereotyped gnawing, licking or sniffing (10 mg/kg). In studies involving chronic administration of (+)-methamphetamine at 0.64, 2.5 and 10 mg/kg conducted over six and seven weeks, behavioural responses were more exaggerated than in acute studies. All behaviours returned to normal levels in the recovery week except for locomotor activity at the 10 mg/kg dosage. In some animals, chronic treatment with 10 mg/kg (+)-methamphetamine led to protracted self-tearing that replaced the gnawing, licking, sniffing stereotype.

Methamphetamine-induced behavioral effects and releases of brain catecholamines and brain concentrations of methamphetamine in mice.

“…Amphetamine pro duced two types of behavioral effects in rats that may be related to brain catecholamines: enhanced locomotor activity and stereotyped behavior. Similar dose-related behavioral effects by methamphetamine have been observed in mice (1). It is now generally assumed that the behavioral effects of amphetamine resulted from the ability of these drugs to release catecholamines from nerve terminals in the central nervous system (2)(3)(4)(5).…”

Effect of Methamphetamine and Imipramine on Cerebral Ischemia-Induced Hyperactivity in Mongolian Gerbils

“…The central action of MAP is mediated through noradrenergic, dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons (24). It has been known that repeated exposure to psychostimulants produces behavioral sensitization and an exaggerated motor response to subsequent challenge administration of psychostimulants (17,18,25). Efforts to elucidate the neurochemical mechanisms involved in the development of behavioral sensitization to psychostimulants have found that this phenomenon is at least partly due to increasing basal extracellular levels of DA in the mesolimbic terminal areas when the animals are receiving daily psychostimulants injections (19 -21).…”

“…Repeated administration of methamphetamine (MAP) can cause functional supersensitivity (17,18). This phenomenon is at least partly due to the increasing basal extra-cellular levels of DA in the mesolimbic terminal areas when the animals are receiving daily psycho-stimulant injections (19 -21).…”

Methamphetamine-lnduced Behavioral Alterations Following Repeated Administration of Methamphetamine

“…Behavioral effects and dopaminergic mechanisms of amphetamines in the mouse have been demonstrated to be similar to those in the rat (3,4 and stereotyped behavior (gnawing, licking or sniffing). Ten ratings were made over a 90-sec period at exactly 10-sec intervals.…”