A simple, non-invasive method for the measurement of reserpine-induced tremor in rats.

A new, non-invasive method for measuring reserpine-induced tremor in rodents is described here. The test procedure is based on the piezo-electric principle and was evaluated using the tremorogenic compound reserpine and the stereotypies-inducing drug apomorphine. Whereas for reserpine an orderly and dose-related increase in activity was observed, no such effect was detected with apomorphine. In order to further evaluate the test procedure, studies on the antagonism of reserpine-induced tremor were also performed. Results from these studies indicated that the DA-agonist lisuride, but not the S2-antagonist ritanserin, were able to antagonize the reserpine-induced tremor in a dose-related manner.