Mouse killing induced by para-chlorophenylalanine injections or septal lesions but not olfactory bulb lesions is similar to that of food-deprived spontaneous killers.

Compared mouse killing induced by septal lesions, olfactory bulb lesions, or parachlorophenylalanine (PCPA) injections in 21 rats with the behavior of 14 sated or 10 food-deprived spontaneous mouse-killing rats to evaluate whether the experimentally induced killing corresponded to killing that occurred spontaneously. On the 1st mouse kill, the intensity of the initial reaction to the mouse, the site of the initial attack, and the time required to kill by all groups were similar except that bulbectomized Ss required longer to kill. Following the kill, only Ss with septal lesions and bulbectomized Ss bit the mouse significantly more than spontaneous killers. With the 2nd mouse kill, there was an increase in the intensity of the response to the mouse and a decrease in attack latency by all groups except the bulbectomized Ss and the nondeprived spontaneous killers. When presented with a freshly killed mouse, Ss with septal lesions attacked with the greatest intensity, but PCPA-injected Ss and food-deprived spontaneous killers also attacked more intensely than nondeprived killers. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)