Morita M, Takeda N, Kubo T, Yamatodani A, Wada H, Matsunaga T
Department of Otolaryngology, Osaka University School of Medicine, Japan.
ORL J Otorhinolaryngol Relat Spec. 1988;50(5):330-3. doi: 10.1159/000276008.
Pica, the eating of nonnutritive substances such as kaolin, can be induced by rotation in rats. We used this rotation-induced pica as a behavioral index of motion sickness in rats and examined whether diphenhydramine, methamphetamine and scopolamine, which are anti-motion sickness drugs for humans, are effective for reducing motion sickness in rats. Intraperitoneal injection of diphenhydramine or methamphetamine suppressed the rotation-induced kaolin intake of rats. Intraperitoneal injection of scopolamine had no effect on the rotation-induced kaolin intake, but its transdermal administration reduced this kaolin intake. These findings show that human anti-motion sickness drugs also prevent motion sickness in rats. Since the pharmacological mechanisms for preventing motion sickness in rats and humans are similar, we conclude that rats are a suitable animal model for use in studies on putative anti-motion sickness drugs.
异食癖，即食用诸如高岭土等无营养物质的行为，可通过让大鼠旋转来诱发。我们将这种旋转诱发的异食癖用作大鼠晕动病的行为指标，并研究了苯海拉明、甲基苯丙胺和东莨菪碱（这些都是用于人类的抗晕动病药物）是否能有效减轻大鼠的晕动病。腹腔注射苯海拉明或甲基苯丙胺可抑制大鼠因旋转而产生的高岭土摄入量。腹腔注射东莨菪碱对旋转诱发的高岭土摄入量没有影响，但其经皮给药可减少这种高岭土摄入量。这些发现表明，人类抗晕动病药物也能预防大鼠的晕动病。由于预防大鼠和人类晕动病的药理机制相似，我们得出结论，大鼠是用于研究潜在抗晕动病药物的合适动物模型。
