BEHAVIORAL AND NEUROCHEMICAL CHANGES FOLLOWING ADMINISTRATION OF 6-HYDROXYDOPAMINE INTO THE VENTRAL TEGMENTAL AREA OF THE MIDBRAIN

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Abstract
The effects of destruction of the ventral tegmental areas of the rat by 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) on gross behavior, interaction of chlorpromazine with d-methamphetamine or apomorphine and neurochemical changes in the brain was investigated. Direct administration of 6-OHDA into the ventral tegmental A-10 area cells caused aggressive behavior and locomotor activation accompanied by a marked decrease in 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid contents in all of the cerebral regions, but there was no effect on dopamine and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid contents in the mesolimbic olfactory tubercle. Neurochemical determination is a prerequisite for functional analysis after administration of 6-OHDA into discrete cerebral regions.