title: Serotonin mechanisms in animal models of anxiety.
abstract: 1. Responses to serotonergic drugs in animal models of anxiety are reviewed. Pre- and postsynaptic mechanisms and multiple sites of postsynaptic action contribute to conflicting findings. 2. Paradoxical responses to both serotonergic and non-serotonergic agents support the concept of multiple anxiety mechanisms. Non-anxiety factors, such as effects on cognition and behavioral inhibition, must also be taken into account. 3. Immediate 'anxiogenic' and delayed 'anxiolytic' effects most closely mimic the clinical effects of recently introduced anxiolytic drugs such as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and buspirone. Thus the relevance to anxiety of immediate 'anxiolytic' effects of such agents in animal models is in question.
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Sciences Institue, Aston University, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Handley
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: McBlane
mesh_terms: D017371:8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D002065:Buspirone / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D051381:Rats; D012701:Serotonin / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D017371:8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D002065:Buspirone; D012701:Serotonin; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors