title: MK-801 induced stereotypies in rats are decreased by haloperidol and increased by diazepam.
abstract: The effects of haloperidol and diazepam were investigated on stereotypies (wall contacts and turn rounds) induced by the non-competitive NMDA antagonist MK-801 in rats. Haloperidol (0.03, 0.10, 0.25 and 0.40 mg/kg body weight) caused a dose-dependent antagonism whereas diazepam (3.0 and 5.0 mg/kg) caused a dose-dependent agonism of the stereotypies induced by 0.30 mg/kg MK-801 (all drugs given intraperitoneal). Conversely, diazepam (5.0 mg/kg) given alone reduced significantly the number of spontaneous wall contacts and turn rounds. The paradoxial stimulation of MK-801 induced stereotypies by diazepam could be explained by a shift between positive and negative corticostriatothalamic feedback loops envolving GABAergic neurons in favour of the former.
authors.affiliation: Unit Neurobiology of Functional Psychoses, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Behrens
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Gattaz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003975:Diazepam / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004357:Drug Synergism; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate; D006220:Haloperidol; D003975:Diazepam