title: Proconflict effect of carbon dioxide inhalation in rats.
abstract: The effect of brief inhalation of carbon dioxide (CO2) was studied in a conflict situation (Vogel test) in the rat. This treatment, which inhibits gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-mediated transmission in rat brain and induces anxiety and panic attacks in humans, elicited a proconflict effect. Exposure of rats for 1 min to CO2 decreased by approximately 40% the number of licking periods in the test. This effect was abolished by prior administration of alprazolam (0.5 mg per kilogram of body mass, i.p.). Although these results may support a role for GABA-mediated transmission in the anxiogenic effect of CO2 inhalation, the possibility that different neurotransmitters other than GABA are involved in the action of CO2 can not be ruled out.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Biology, University of Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cuccheddu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Floris
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Serra
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Porceddu
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sanna
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Biggio
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000525:Alprazolam / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D005442:Flumazenil / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D005442:Flumazenil; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D000525:Alprazolam