New concepts in the neurobiology of anxiety.
Advances in understanding the neurobiologic bases of anxiety are reviewed. The discovery of a class of compounds generically known as "benzodiazepine antagonists" has been central to much of this work. One such group of compounds, the beta-carbolines, cause convulsions, produce an anxiety-like syndrome in primates, and reduce sleep. These compounds will provide a valuable means of investigating the mechanism of action of potential anxiolytics and of drugs currently used to treat anxious patients.
D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism*; D001463:Barbiturates / Q000378:metabolism; D001519:Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D001570:Benzodiazepinones / Q000494:pharmacology; D002243:Carbolines / Q000494:pharmacology; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism; D005442:Flumazenil; D006801:Humans; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D011720:Pyrazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism*; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A
D001463:Barbiturates; D001570:Benzodiazepinones; D002243:Carbolines; D011720:Pyrazoles; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D005442:Flumazenil; C024915:beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid ethyl ester; C033830:2-phenylpyrazolo(4,3-c)quinolin-3(5H)-one; C036150:beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid methyl ester