title: The benzodiazepine receptor antagonist flumazenil increases acetylcholine release in rat hippocampus.
abstract: The benzodiazepine receptor antagonist flumazenil (2.5-20 mg/kg i.p.) increased acetylcholine (ACh) release by up to 85% in the hippocampus of freely moving rats. In contrast, the benzodiazepine receptor full agonist diazepam (2.5-10 mg/kg i.p.) decreased ACh release up to a maximum of 45% in the same brain area. Injection of flumazenil (10 pmol) or diazepam (10 pmol) into the medial septum increased (95%) or reduced (50%), respectively, ACh release in the hippocampus. The maximum effect produced by those drugs was of the same magnitude as that observed after systemic injection. The changes in hippocampal cholinergic function elicited by activation and blockade of benzodiazepine receptors in the medial septum may thus play a crucial role in the alterations of the cognitive processes elicited by benzodiazepine receptor ligands.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience Bernard B. Brodie, University of Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Imperato
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dazzi
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Obinu
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Gessa
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Biggio
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D003975:Diazepam / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005442:Flumazenil / Q000494:pharmacology*; D058787:GABA-A Receptor Antagonists; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism*; D007267:Injections; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008297:Male; D017551:Microdialysis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012688:Septum Pellucidum
chemical_list: D058787:GABA-A Receptor Antagonists; D005442:Flumazenil; D000109:Acetylcholine; D003975:Diazepam