title: Imidazole has similar behavioural effects to yohimbine.
abstract: A number of animal behavioural models were used to study the activity of imidazole (IMID) on the central nervous system. IMID antagonized in a dose-related fashion penile erections (PE) as well as stretching and yawning (SY) elicited in male rats by B-HT 920, an alpha 2 and dopamine (DA) autoreceptor agonist. Inhibition of B-HT 920-induced PE and SY was also exhibited by haloperidol, a DA receptor blocker, and yohimbine, but not by prazosin, alpha 2 and alpha 1 receptor antagonists respectively. Moreover IMID behaved similarly to yohimbine in: 1) counteracting clonidine-induced hypothermia in mice; 2) antagonizing sedation and sleep induced by clonidine and B-HT 920 in chicks, while haloperidol was ineffective. When administered to sexually active rats before the copulatory test, IMID at low doses, significantly altered some aspects of mating, a result which is interpretable in terms of enhanced sexual arousal and resembling the aphrodisiac effect reported for yohimbine. The neurochemical mechanisms involved in these effects are discussed.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martinelli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baggio
mesh_terms: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000502:physiology; D001381:Azepines / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D002645:Chickens; D003000:Clonidine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000494:pharmacology; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D010410:Penile Erection / Q000187:drug effects; D011224:Prazosin / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D012890:Sleep / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors; D015016:Yohimbine / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; D001381:Azepines; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D007093:Imidazoles; D015016:Yohimbine; C024763:talipexole; C029899:imidazole; D006220:Haloperidol; D003000:Clonidine; D011224:Prazosin