title: Further pharmacological validation of the BALB/c neophobia in the free exploratory paradigm as an animal model of trait anxiety.
abstract: The present experiments were aimed at investigating the ability of established or putative anxiolytics to reduce the neophobia exhibited by BALB/c mice in the free exploratory paradigm. Results confirm the anxiolytic effects of the benzodiazepine receptor full agonist chlordiazepoxide (2.5-7.5 mg/kg), of meprobamate (15-60 mg/kg) and of ethanol (0.5-1.5 g/kg) and extend the pharmacological action of these compounds to a test situation devoid of anxiogenic components, that is to trait anxiety. The non-competitive NMDA antagonist MK 801 (0.04-0.16 mg/kg) elicited very similar behavioural effects. However, the alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonists yohimbine (0.5-2 mg/kg) and idazoxan (0.3-2.7 mg/kg), the barbiturate pentobarbital (3.75-30 mg/kg), the mixed 5HT2 receptor antagonist ritanserin (0.25-4 mg/kg) and the D2 dopaminergic antagonist sulpiride (8-32 mg/kg) failed to decrease neophobia in BALB/c mice. The discussion focuses on the adequacy of this animal model of human pathology. The BALB/c neophobia may not model panic attacks because of the absence of worsening by the panic-provoking agent yohimbine and the lack of attenuation by CCK-B receptor antagonists. Because of its chronicity, this paradigm may model generalized anxiety, a pathology that has been suggested to overlap trait anxiety.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Ethologie et de Pharmacologie du Comportement, UFR Sciences et Techniques, Tours, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Belzung
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Berton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents