TY - JOUR
T1 - The actions of diazepam and serotonergic anxiolytics vary according to the gender and the estrous cycle phase
AU - Fernández-Guasti, A.
AU - Picazo, O.
N1 - Funding Information:
Authors wish to thank Drs. E. Hong and A. Scriabine for valuable comments to the manuscript and the pharmaceutical companies mentioned in the Method section. The present investigation was supported by a grant from the "Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia" (P228CCOX891558).
PY - 1990/9
Y1 - 1990/9
N2 - The anxiolytic effect of diazepam (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mg/kg), buspirone (2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg) indorenate (2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg) and ipsapirone (5.0 and 10.0 mg/kg) was evaluated in male and female rats during the proestrus and metestrus phases. The burying behavior test was used to measure the anxiety levels. In this test, increases in the behavior latency are interpreted as prolonged reactivity, while reductions in the burying behavior are considered to reflect anxiolytic states. Diazepam increases in burying behavior latency were consistently higher than those observed after serotonergic anxiolytics. Buspirone, at no dose tested, affected the burying behavior latency, while indorenate and ipsapirone had only minor effects. Male individuals were more sensitive than females to the actions of diazepam on burying behavior. The serotonergic anxiolytics produce similar responses in both sexes. Metestrus females were much less sensitive to the action of all anxiolytics on burying behavior latency than proestrus females. Proestrus females were highly sensitive to the actions of diazepam on burying latency as compared both with males and metestrus females. Data show that a larger gender and within females variation occurs after treatment with diazepam as compared with the serotogergic anxiolytics. The results are discussed considering the relationships between ovarian hormones and the GABA-benzodiazepinic and serotonergic systems.
AB - The anxiolytic effect of diazepam (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mg/kg), buspirone (2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg) indorenate (2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg) and ipsapirone (5.0 and 10.0 mg/kg) was evaluated in male and female rats during the proestrus and metestrus phases. The burying behavior test was used to measure the anxiety levels. In this test, increases in the behavior latency are interpreted as prolonged reactivity, while reductions in the burying behavior are considered to reflect anxiolytic states. Diazepam increases in burying behavior latency were consistently higher than those observed after serotonergic anxiolytics. Buspirone, at no dose tested, affected the burying behavior latency, while indorenate and ipsapirone had only minor effects. Male individuals were more sensitive than females to the actions of diazepam on burying behavior. The serotonergic anxiolytics produce similar responses in both sexes. Metestrus females were much less sensitive to the action of all anxiolytics on burying behavior latency than proestrus females. Proestrus females were highly sensitive to the actions of diazepam on burying latency as compared both with males and metestrus females. Data show that a larger gender and within females variation occurs after treatment with diazepam as compared with the serotogergic anxiolytics. The results are discussed considering the relationships between ovarian hormones and the GABA-benzodiazepinic and serotonergic systems.
KW - Burying behavior
KW - Diazepam
KW - Estrous cycle phase differences
KW - Gender differences
KW - Serotonergic anxiolytics
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0025054328&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/0091-3057(90)90044-I
DO - 10.1016/0091-3057(90)90044-I
M3 - Artículo
SN - 0091-3057
VL - 37
SP - 77
EP - 81
JO - Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior
JF - Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior
IS - 1
ER -