Effects of β-Phenylethylamine on Psychomotor, Rewarding, and Reinforcing Behaviors and Affective State: The Role of Dopamine D1 Receptors

• Main Authors: In Soo Ryu, Oc-Hee Kim, Ji Sun Kim, Sumin Sohn, Eun Sang Choe, Ri-Na Lim, Tae Wan Kim, Joung-Wook Seo, Eun Young Jang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-08-01
• Series: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Subjects: β-phenylethylamine; conditioned place preference; dopamine; dopamine D1 receptor; self-administration; ultrasonic vocalization
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/17/9485
• ISSN: 1661-6596; 1422-0067

Beta-phenylethylamine (β-PEA) is a well-known and widespread endogenous neuroactive trace amine found throughout the central nervous system in humans. In this study, we demonstrated the effects of β-PEA on psychomotor, rewarding, and reinforcing behaviors and affective state using the open-field test, conditioned place preference (CPP), self-administration, and ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) paradigms. We also investigated the role of the dopamine (DA) D1 receptor in the behavioral effects of β-PEA in rodents. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western immunoblotting, we also determined the DA concentration and the DA-related protein levels in the dorsal striatum of mice administered with acute β-PEA. The results showed that acute β-PEA increased stereotypic behaviors such as circling and head-twitching responses in mice. In the CPP experiment, β-PEA increased place preference in mice. In the self-administration test, β-PEA significantly enhanced self-administration during a 2 h session under fixed ratio (FR) schedules (FR1 and FR3) and produced a higher breakpoint during a 6 h session under progressive ratio schedules of reinforcement in rats. In addition, acute β-PEA increased 50-kHz USV calls in rats. Furthermore, acute β-PEA administration increased DA concentration and p-DAT and TH expression in the dorsal striatum of mice. Finally, pretreatment with SCH23390, a DA D1 receptor antagonist, attenuated β-PEA-induced circling behavior and β-PEA-taking behavior in rodents. Taken together, these findings suggest that β-PEA has rewarding and reinforcing effects and psychoactive properties, which induce psychomotor behaviors and a positive affective state by activating the DA D1 receptor in the dorsal striatum.