Effects of lesions in the ventral noradrenergic bundle on behavior and response to psychotropic drugs in rats.

Bilateral lesions of the ventral noradrenergic bundle (VB) decreased concentration of noradrenaline within the mesendiencephalon but not in the cortex. Lesioned rats showed increased activity measured in the open field test. Cataloptogenic effects of chlorpromazine and haloperidol were almost completely abolished in VB-lesioned animals. The stereotypy induced by both--amphetamine and apomorphine was, however, unchanged. It is supposed that lesions of the VB lead to increased activity in dopaminergic neurons in the brain.