Infantile stimulation and the role of the benzodiazepine receptor system in adult acquisition of two-way avoidance behavior.
The present study shows that postnatal "consistent" handling (CH) of rats had long-lasting improving effects on coping with an stressful task (i.e. two-way active avoidance), and that such effects were partially prevented by acute Ro 15-1788 (antagonist of benzodiazepine receptor-BZR; 5 mg/kg) administration. Long-lasting detrimental effects in the same task were also observed in rats which received postnatal "inconsistent" handling (INCH), effects that were slightly increased by acute Ro 15-1788 treatment. Finally, Ro 15-1788 tended to increase avoidance acquisition in non-handled (NH) animals. The observed effects of Ro 15-1788 could be partially attributed to a differential modulation of the process of avoidance acquisition depending on postnatal treatments producing different levels of emotionality.
Escorihuela
R M
RM
Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain.
Fernández-Teruel
A
A
Núñez
F J
FJ
Zapata
A
A
Tobeña
A
A
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000523:psychology; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005442:Flumazenil / Q000494:pharmacology; D006234:Handling, Psychological; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000187:drug effects*
D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D005442:Flumazenil