Effects of withdrawal from long-term barbital treatment on open-field behaviour and seizure susceptibility of rats.
Rats withdrawn from long-term barbital treatment were tested both for their activity in an open-field and for their sensitivity to convulsant stimuli. Barbital withdrawal induced a significant increase on locomotion and rearing frequency. Drug removal also made the rats more sensitive to convulsions elicited by sound and maximal electroshock. A positive correlation was found between locomotion plus rearing frequency and audiogenic-induced seizures 3, 4 and 5 days after barbital withdrawal. The results show that exploratory behaviour evaluated through the open-field method can be used as a reliable method to show barbital withdrawal in rats. Taken together, the results suggest that long-term barbital treatment might develop a supersensitivity state, in noradrenergic neurons in the central nervous system.
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000818:Animals; D001462:Barbital / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001463:Barbiturates / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012640:Seizures / Q000209:etiology*; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000209:etiology*
D001463:Barbiturates; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D001462:Barbital