title: Decreased reactivity to anxiolytics caused by early protein malnutrition in rats.
abstract: In order to investigate whether early malnutrition causes lasting changes in the reactivity to anxiolytic drugs, rat dams during lactation (21 days) and pups after weaning until the 49th day of life were fed on 8% casein diet (M rats), while their well-nourished controls received 25% casein (W rats). From day 50 on all animals ate the same balanced diet. Experiments started on the 91st day. Rats deprived for 22 hours drank water containing either 1.8% or 2.7% sodium chloride for 30 min in a test chamber, total intake being measured. Dose-effect curves for diazepam (0.5-5.0 mg/kg, IP), as well as for the nonbenzodiazepine anxiolytics ipsapirone (0.5-5.0 mg/kg), ritanserin (0.05-1.0 mg/kg) and isamoltane (2.5-20.0 mg/kg) were determined in M as well as in W rats. Diazepam and ipsapirone dose-dependently released drinking suppressed by either salt concentration in W rats, but caused little or no effect in M rats. Ritanserin and isamoltane were ineffective in both groups. These and previously reported results show that early protein malnutrition markedly reduces anticonflict effects of anxiolytics, indicating long-lasting impairment of neuronal systems underlying emotional behavior.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Psicobiologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.forename: F G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Graeff
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D003975:Diazepam / Q000494:pharmacology; D004032:Diet; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006982:Hypertonic Solutions / Q000494:pharmacology; D007774:Lactation; D008297:Male; D010880:Piperidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D011412:Propanolamines / Q000494:pharmacology; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000523:psychology*; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D016713:Ritanserin
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D006982:Hypertonic Solutions; D010880:Piperidines; D011412:Propanolamines; D011743:Pyrimidines; D016713:Ritanserin; C043077:ipsapirone; C058392:isamoltane; D003975:Diazepam