title: Behaviorally selective effects of neuroactive steroids on plus-maze anxiety in mice.
abstract: A number of A-ring-reduced metabolites of deoxycorticosterone and progesterone, known to exert agonist activity at the GABA(A) receptor complex, have been reported to reduce anxiety-related behavior in rodents. In the present study, the behavioral selectivity of these effects was assessed in an ethological version of the mouse elevated plus-maze paradigm. Anxiolytic-like profiles, characterised principally by reductions in open arm avoidance measures, were observed following systemic treatment with 5alpha-pregnan-3alpha, 21-diol-20-one (5alpha,3alpha-THDOC; 5.0 and 20.0 mg/kg), 5beta-pregnan-3,20-dione (5beta-DHP; 10-20 mg/kg), 5beta-pregnan-3alpha-ol-20-one (pregnanolone; 20 mg/kg), and 5alpha-pregnan-3alpha-ol-20-one (allopregnanolone; 10-20 mg/kg). In contrast, 5alpha-pregnan-3,20-dione (5alpha-DHP; 10.0-20.0 mg/kg) and 5alpha-pregnan-3beta-ol-20-one (2.5-20.0 mg/kg) were without effect under present test conditions. Detailed behavioral analysis further showed that the antianxiety effects of 5alpha,3alpha-THDOC, 5alpha-DHP, pregnanolone and allopregnanolone were not associated with changes in general activity levels. In addition, profile comparisons revealed that the anxiolytic steroids tend to produce a narrower range of behavioral effects than diazepam (1.0 mg/kg) and, in particular, do not reliably decrease measures of risk assessment. It is concluded that neuroactive steroids produce anxioselective effects in the mouse plus-maze and that their profile of action can at least partially be distinguished from that of a well-characterised benzodiazepine.
authors.affiliation: Ethopharmacology Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Rodgers
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D043582:5-alpha-Dihydroprogesterone; D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003900:Desoxycorticosterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D003975:Diazepam / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D011277:Pregnanediones / Q000494:pharmacology; D011280:Pregnanolone / Q000494:pharmacology; D013256:Steroids / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D011277:Pregnanediones; D013256:Steroids; D003900:Desoxycorticosterone; C009413:tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone; D043582:5-alpha-Dihydroprogesterone; D011280:Pregnanolone; D003975:Diazepam