Genetic differences in the synthesis and reception of noradrenaline in the mouse brain and behavior in a novel environment.

The activity of tyrosine hydroxylase, the key enzyme in catecholamine biosynthesis, was studied along with adrenoceptor density in the brains of male CBA/Lac, BALB/cLac, and C57BL/6J mice, which show different responses to novel environments. C57BL mice showed the highest level of movement activity and the lowest level of emotionality in a novel environment. Mice of this line also showed the highest brainstem tyrosine hydroxylase activity. At the same time, the density of beta-adrenoceptors in the cortex and hypothalamus of C57BL mice was lower than in the other two lines of mice, while the density of alpha2-adrenoceptors in these parts of the brain was lower than in CBA mice. In BALB mice, movement activity was twice as high as in CBA mice, while levels of emotionality were similar in these two lines. Tyrosine hydroxylase activity was higher in the cerebral cortex of BALB mice, while the density of alpha2-adrenoceptors was lower than in CBA mice. These results show that increased investigative activity and decreased emotionality were seen in animals with higher levels of noradrenaline synthesis and decreased density of adrenergic receptors in the brain.