Stimulatory effect of chlordiazepoxide on locomotor activity in mice: importance of noradrenergic transmission.
Chlorodiazepoxide (CDP) produces stimulation of the locomotor activity of CD-1 and DBA/2 mice. This effect is strongly pronounced at the commencement of the testing session, and it is followed by a decline of the locomotor activity. The drugs impairing noradrenergic transmission: reserpine, clonidine and alpha-methyltyrosine, depressed or abolished the stimulatory effect of CDP; clonidine, in addition antagonized the subsequent decline of the locomotor activity in CDP-treated mice. Mice receiving reserpine subchronically (in the dose of 0.5 mg/kg daily for 3 days) displayed either motor depression or hypermotility. In approx. 50% of subchronically reserpinized mice CDP produced a strong hypermotility, lasting for at least 1 hr. It can be concluded that a noradrenergic mechanism is involved in the stimulatory effect of CDP on exploratory locomotor activity in mice, and that there exist two distinct subpopulations within the CD-1 strain, reacting differently to chronic reserpine treatment.
D000818:Animals; D002707:Chlordiazepoxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003000:Clonidine / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008781:Methyltyrosines / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D012110:Reserpine / Q000494:pharmacology; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects*; D013997:Time Factors
D008781:Methyltyrosines; D002707:Chlordiazepoxide; D012110:Reserpine; D003000:Clonidine