Acute effects of AMPA-type glutamate receptor antagonists on intermale social behavior in two mouse lines bidirectionally selected for offensive aggression

Involvement of AMPA-type glutamate receptors in the regulation of social behavior has been suggested by experiments with mice deficient for the GluR-A subunit-containing AMPA receptors showing reduced intermale aggression. In the present study, effects of AMPA receptor antagonists on mouse social behavior towards unfamiliar Swiss–Webster males on a neutral territory were tested using male subjects from the Turku Aggressive (TA) and Turku Non-Aggressive (TNA) mouse lines bidirectionally selected for high and low levels of offensive aggression. The drugs were the competitive antagonists 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX) and 2,3-dioxo-6-nitro-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrobenzo[f]quinoxaline-7-sulfonamide (NBQX), and the non-competitive antagonist 4-(8-methyl-9 H-1,3-dioxolo[4,5- h][2,3]benzodiazepin-5-yl)-benzenamine (GYKI 52466). In TA mice, CNQX and NBQX decreased the biting component of aggressive structure, while GYKI 52466 suppressed all aggressive manifestations. All drugs increased anxiety-like behavior towards the partner. In TNA mice, NBQX activated mouse social behavior and ambivalent aggression, while CNQX and GYKI 52466 only increased anxiety. Thus, AMPA receptor antagonists affect aggressive behaviors in TA mice supporting the idea that AMPA receptors are involved in the modulation of agonistic impulsive behavioral pattern. GYKI 52466 appeared to be the most selective and efficacious in suppressing the aggression.