TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of prenatal diazepam on two-way avoidance behavior, swimming navigation and brain levels of benzodiazepine-like molecules in male roman high- and low-avoidance rats
AU - Driscoll, P.
AU - Ferré, P.
AU - Fernández-Teruel, A.
AU - Tobeña, A.
AU - Escorihuela, R. M.
AU - Levi de Stein, M.
AU - Wolfman, C.
AU - Medina, J.
PY - 1995/11/1
Y1 - 1995/11/1
N2 - Utilizing psychogenetically selected Roman high- and low-avoidance rats (RHA/Verh and RLA/Verh), the present experiments investigated the effects of prenatally administered vehicle and diazepam (1 and 3 mg/kg per day, SC) on the behavior and neurochemistry of adult, male offspring. Active, two-way avoidance behavior was analyzed in 96 rats, at 6 months of age, and swimming navigation in 68 others, at 11 months. Three weeks after testing, selected brain areas from the latter animals were immunoassayed for benzodiazepine (BZD)-like molecules. The 3 mg/kg dose of diazepam both decreased freezing behavior in the shuttle box and reduced the hippocampal content of BZD-like molecules in the RLA/Verh male rats. Swimming navigation (spatial learning), at which the RLA/Verh rats were more adept, was not specifically affected by prenatal diazepam in either rat line. The possibility exists that an increased hippocampal release of BZD-like substances may be necessary to alter shuttle box behavior in RLA/Verh rats. © 1995 Springer-Verlag.
AB - Utilizing psychogenetically selected Roman high- and low-avoidance rats (RHA/Verh and RLA/Verh), the present experiments investigated the effects of prenatally administered vehicle and diazepam (1 and 3 mg/kg per day, SC) on the behavior and neurochemistry of adult, male offspring. Active, two-way avoidance behavior was analyzed in 96 rats, at 6 months of age, and swimming navigation in 68 others, at 11 months. Three weeks after testing, selected brain areas from the latter animals were immunoassayed for benzodiazepine (BZD)-like molecules. The 3 mg/kg dose of diazepam both decreased freezing behavior in the shuttle box and reduced the hippocampal content of BZD-like molecules in the RLA/Verh male rats. Swimming navigation (spatial learning), at which the RLA/Verh rats were more adept, was not specifically affected by prenatal diazepam in either rat line. The possibility exists that an increased hippocampal release of BZD-like substances may be necessary to alter shuttle box behavior in RLA/Verh rats. © 1995 Springer-Verlag.
KW - Benzodiazepine-like molecules
KW - Diazepam
KW - Genetic selection
KW - Roman high- and low-avoidance rats
KW - Swimming navigation
KW - Two-way, active avoidance
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02246441
DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02246441
M3 - Article
VL - 122
SP - 51
EP - 57
JO - Psychopharmacology
JF - Psychopharmacology
SN - 0033-3158
ER -