Dosing regimen differentiates sensitization of locomotion and mouthing to D2 agonist quinpirole.

The study examines whether the order of administering 2 doses of quinpirole (0.5 and 8 mg/kg) affects the development of behavioral sensitization, as measured by the amount of forward progression and mouthing. Results show that injection of the high dose greatly enhances the subsequent locomotor response to the low dose of quinpirole, but not vice versa. Mouthing activity is not influenced by order of administration but is significantly greater at the higher dose of quinpirole. The present findings are consistent with a hypothesis that locomotor sensitization involves down-regulation of a D1 tone normally inhibitory to D2 locomotor activation.