Serotonin receptor involvement in the avoidance learning deficit caused byp‐chloroamphetamine‐induced serotonin release

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Abstract
The receptor involvement in thep‐chloroamphetamine (PCA, 2.5 mg kg‐1) induced impairment of active avoidance acquisition was examined in the male rat. The avoidance deficit was blocked at low doses by serotonergic (5‐HT)‐receptor blocking agents but not by α‐adrenergic‐, β‐adrenergic‐, opiate‐, muscarinic‐ or dopamine D2‐receptor antagonists. The potency of the 5‐HT antagonists to block the PCA‐ induced deficit correlated with their affinity in displacing [3H]ketanserin but not [3H]5‐HT binding in the frontal cortex. The potencies of the 5‐HT antagonists to block the action of PCA could not be related to their action on muscarinic‐, histaminergic H1‐ or dopaminergic D2‐receptor bindingin vitro.It is concluded that the avoidance learning deficit caused by PCA‐induced 5‐HT release is related to activation of 5‐HT receptors in the frontal cortex having the characteristics of a 5‐HT2receptor.