title: The anxiogenic-like effects of pentylenetetrazole in mice treated chronically with carbamazepine or valproate.
abstract: The chronic effects of carbamazepine administration (5, 10, 20 mg/kg i.p. daily for 14 days) on the anxiogenic response to pentylenetetrazole were studied in the light/dark aversion test. In mice, these effects were compared with those of sodium valproate (100, 200 and 300 mg/kg i.p.), a putative anxiolytic drug, and lorazepam (0.025, 0.05 and 0.10 mg/kg i.p.), a well-established anxiolytic drug. The results showed that the anxiogenic-like behavior induced by subconvulsant doses of pentylenetetrazole (15 mg/kg i.p.) was antagonized by the chronic administration of lorazepam as well as sodium valproate, a GABA agonist. In fact, the increased aversion of mice for the light compartment of the light/dark box was reduced. Carbamazepine failed to significantly alter the anxiogenic-like behavior of mice. These findings provide further evidence for the absence of anxiolytic properties of carbamazepine and for a behavioral anxiolytic profile of valproate similar to that of benzodiazepines.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmacology, University of Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: de Angelis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000523:psychology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D008140:Lorazepam / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D002220:Carbamazepine; D014635:Valproic Acid; D008140:Lorazepam; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole