Kindling with the beta-carboline FG7142 suggests separation between changes in seizure threshold and anxiety-related behaviour.
The aim of this paper was to determine whether the prolonged decrease in seizure threshold produced by chemical kindling was accompanied by behavioural changes in tests of anxiety and aggression. The responses of rats in five tests were examined after chronic treatment with the benzodiazepine inverse agonist FG7142. This treatment caused chemical kindling, so that the originally proconvulsant drug caused full seizures. This effect is very long-lasting, and our previous work with mice had suggested that it might be accompanied by an increase in anxiety-related behavior. In the present work no significant differences were found between the behaviour of FG7142-kindled rats and vehicle-treated controls in social interaction test, elevated plus maze, or the Vogel conflict test of anxiety or in tests of home cage aggression or startle responses. The results therefore show that prolonged changes in seizure threshold can occur without alterations in the apparent level of anxiety.
Taylor
S C
SC
University Department of Pharmacology, Oxford, UK.
Johnston
A L
AL
Wilks
L J
LJ
Nicholass
J M
JM
File
S E
SE
Little
H J
HJ
D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D001143:Arousal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects*; D002243:Carbolines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D004326:Drinking / Q000187:drug effects; D007696:Kindling, Neurologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D009949:Orientation / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000187:drug effects; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000187:drug effects; D012919:Social Behavior
D002243:Carbolines; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; C035874:FG 7142