Intracerebroventricular infusion of the CCK B receptor agonist pentagastrin potentiates acoustic startle

Abstract

The acoustic startle reflex is increased by stimuli associated with aversive events (such as the delivery of shock) and so has been used as a sensitive index of ‘anxiety’ or ‘fear’. Administration of cholecystokinin B (CCK b) receptor agonists produces a constellation of behaviors associated with ‘anxiety’ in laboratory animals and humans. Here, intracerebroventricular infusions of the CCK B agonist, pentagastrin (0, 1, 10, 100 nM), produced a long-lasting, dose-related potentiation of acoustic startle responses. Similar infusions of pentagastrin had no effect on locomotor activity over the same time course, showing that changes in startle responsivity following infusions of pentagastrin are not due to nonspecific changes in motor activity.