title: Behavioral effects of acute and long-term administration of catnip (Nepeta cataria) in mice.
abstract: Catnip or catmint (Nepeta cataria) is a plant used extensively to treat human diseases and in toys for pets. We investigated the effects of acute and long-term administration of the plant on some behaviors of mice. The plant was fed as 10% of the normal diet for 2 h/d for 1 or 7 d. Acute and long-term dosing increased both rearing and locomotion frequencies observed in an open field. Acute exposure to catnip increased stereotyped behavior and susceptibility to seizures, did not interfere with haloperidol-induced catalepsy, and decreased sleeping time after sodium pentobarbital administration. Long-term exposure induced tolerance to stereotypic behavior, catalepsy and sleeping time, and increased the susceptibility to seizures induced by picrotoxin and strychnine. An amphetamine-like effect of catnip was suggested to explain the acute effects, while dispositional and functional adaptative changes were considered involved with the long-term effects.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Health Sciences Institute, Paulista University, Brazil.
authors.forename: C O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Massoco
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Gorniak
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Spinosa
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Bernardi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D002375:Catalepsy / Q000139:chemically induced; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D010424:Pentobarbital / Q000494:pharmacology; D010852:Picrotoxin / Q000633:toxicity; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced; D012890:Sleep / Q000187:drug effects; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D013331:Strychnine / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D010424:Pentobarbital; D010852:Picrotoxin; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013331:Strychnine