TY - JOUR
T1 - Glutamate-induced asymmetry in the sexual and aggressive behavior of young chickens
AU - Bullock, S. P.
AU - Rogers, L. J.
PY - 1986/3
Y1 - 1986/3
N2 - A unilateral injection of monosodium glutamate (MSG) into the left hemisphere of the forebrain, at doses of either 50 nmol or 500 nmol per hemisphere on day 2 post-hatch, resulted in a marked and long lasting elevation of attack and copulatory behavior in cockerels. This was not observed when MSG was injected into the right hemisphere or both hemispheres, and further demonstrates functional brain asymmetry in lower vertebrates. A similar asymmetry was observed after administering the higher dose of MSG to females on day 2. A significant change in copulatory performance was observed when the higher dose was injected into the left hemisphere on day 11, compared to the controls, without affecting attack behavior, whereas, the lower dose failed to induce any changes. This may be due to the development of efficient brain uptake mechanisms for glutamate. The possibility that the behavioral changes were induced indirectly via increased secretion of plasma androgen, which then stimulates the appropriate brain centres, was found not to be the case.
AB - A unilateral injection of monosodium glutamate (MSG) into the left hemisphere of the forebrain, at doses of either 50 nmol or 500 nmol per hemisphere on day 2 post-hatch, resulted in a marked and long lasting elevation of attack and copulatory behavior in cockerels. This was not observed when MSG was injected into the right hemisphere or both hemispheres, and further demonstrates functional brain asymmetry in lower vertebrates. A similar asymmetry was observed after administering the higher dose of MSG to females on day 2. A significant change in copulatory performance was observed when the higher dose was injected into the left hemisphere on day 11, compared to the controls, without affecting attack behavior, whereas, the lower dose failed to induce any changes. This may be due to the development of efficient brain uptake mechanisms for glutamate. The possibility that the behavioral changes were induced indirectly via increased secretion of plasma androgen, which then stimulates the appropriate brain centres, was found not to be the case.
KW - Androgens
KW - Attack
KW - Brain asymmetry
KW - Chickens
KW - Copulation
KW - Effects on males and females
KW - Glutamate
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0022639797&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/0091-3057(86)90556-3
DO - 10.1016/0091-3057(86)90556-3
M3 - Article
C2 - 2871562
AN - SCOPUS:0022639797
SN - 0091-3057
VL - 24
SP - 549
EP - 554
JO - Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior
JF - Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior
IS - 3
ER -