Effects of the benzodiazepine antagonist Ro 15-1788 on social and agonistic behaviour in male albino mice.
In view of recently reported low-dose behavioural activity of Ro 15-1788, the present study examined the effects of this benzodiazepine antagonist on social and agonistic behaviours in adult male albino mice. Using a resident-intruder paradigm, independent pharmacological manipulation of interactants and pharmaco-ethological analysis, our data demonstrate significant behavioural effects of Ro 15-1788 in benzodiazepine-naive animals. In residents, treatment with the antagonist (1.25, 2.5, 10 and 20 mg/kg, IP) resulted in dose-related increases in offensive threat behaviour and reduced olfactory investigation. However, 5 mg/kg exerted no detectable behavioural action in these animals. In intruders, behavioural effects were observed only with 1.25 mg/kg Ro 15-1788, and consisted of a profile suggestive of reduced defensiveness. In both experiments, the behaviour of untreated opponents confirmed the existence of drug-induced behavioural changes in their partners. It is argued that present data are not inconsistent with the existence of putative endogenous benzodiazepine-like ligands and that the differential effects of Ro 15-1788 in residents (singly-housed) and intruders (grouped) suggest one possible explanation for previous failures to detect low-dose behavioural activity with this compound.
D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects*; D000378:Agonistic Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D001570:Benzodiazepinones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005442:Flumazenil; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D051381:Rats; D012919:Social Behavior; D012934:Social Isolation
D001570:Benzodiazepinones; D005442:Flumazenil