title: Sodium valproate and chlordiazepoxide in the elevated plus-maze test of anxiety in the rat.
abstract: The effects of sodium valproate (25-200 mg/kg i.p.) were investigated in the elevated plus-maze test of anxiety in the rat. No single dose significantly increased the percentage of entries made onto the open arms. Chlordiazepoxide (5 mg/kg) both acutely and after 5 days of administration significantly increased the percentage of entries onto open arms and this anxiolytic effect was neither potentiated, nor antagonised, by sodium valproate (25-200 mg/kg). Chlordiazepoxide also increased the total number of arm entries (indicating a stimulant effect). When valproate (25-100 mg/kg) was given together with acute chlordiazepoxide it produced a dose-related antagonism of this stimulant effect. The group receiving valproate (200 mg/kg) plus acute chlordiazepoxide (5 mg/kg) had a total number of entries significantly lower than the controls. Thus, the combination of 2 non-sedative doses resulted in a significant sedative effect.
authors.affiliation: Psychopharmacology Research Unit, UMDS Division of Pharmacology, Guy's Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: File
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aranko
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001143:Arousal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D002707:Chlordiazepoxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D009949:Orientation / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D014635:Valproic Acid; D002707:Chlordiazepoxide