ArticlePsychopharmacology2025
Noradrenergic modulation of play in Sprague-Dawley and F344 rats.
Article in Psychopharmacology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.
- Partner Choice and Context-Dependent Sex Differences in Rat Rough-and-Tumble Play.The European journal of neuroscience · 2026Article
- Juvenile male rats form preferences based on strain when playing in groups but not in pairs.Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
rationaleFor many mammals, engaging in social play behavior as a juvenile is important for cognitive, social, and emotional health as an adult. A playful phenotype reflects a dynamic interplay between genetic framework and experiences that operate on hard-wired brain systems so the relative lack of play in an otherwise playful species may be useful for identifying neural substrates that modulate play behavior. The inbred F344 rat has been identified as a strain that is consistently less playful than other strains commonly used in behavioral research. Norepinephrine (NE) acting on alpha-2 receptors has an inhibitory effect on play and F344 rats differ from a number of other strains in NE functioning. As such, the F344 rat may be particularly useful for gaining insight into NE involvement in play.
objectiveThe objective of this study was to determine whether the F344 rat is differentially sensitive to compounds that affect NE functioning and that are known to affect play behavior.
methodsUsing pouncing and pinning to quantify play, the effects of the NE reuptake inhibitor atomoxetine, the NE alpha-2 receptor agonist guanfacine, and the NE alpha-2 receptor antagonist RX821002 on play behavior were assessed in juvenile Sprague-Dawley (SD) and F344 rats.
resultsAtomoxetine and guanfacine reduced play in both SD and F344 rats. RX821002 increased pinning to a comparable extent in both strains but F344 rats were more sensitive to the play-enhancing effects of RX821002 on pounces.
conclusionsStrain differences in NE alpha-2 receptor dynamics may contribute to the lower levels of play in F344 rats.
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