Induction of Wet Dog Shakes by Intracerebroventricular Bethanechol in Rats

Abstract

Bethanechol chloride, administered intracerebroventricularly, induces a characteristic wet dog shake (WDS) response in rats in a dose-related manner. WDS induced by bethanechol at the dose of 100 micrograms was antagonized by atropine, scopolamine and spiperone (muscarinic cholinergic and dopaminergic antagonists, respectively), whilst metergoline, methysergide, phentolamine, propranolol and bicuculline (serotonergic, alpha-adrenergic, beta-adrenergic and GABA-ergic antagonists) fail to inhibit this effect. The present experiments show that the shaking response may be produced by bethanechol, a potent muscarinic agent administered by the intracerebral route, and suggest that bethanechol-induced shaking behavior in rats may be a useful animal model for delineating agents with antimuscarinic activity.