title: Behavioural effects of a benzodiazepine receptor partial agonist, Ro 19-8022, in the social conflict test in mice.
abstract: The study examined the effects of the benzodiazepine receptor partial agonist, Ro 19-8022, on anxiety-like, aggressive, social and locomotor behaviours in timid ('anxious') and aggressive mice in the social conflict test. To test the hypothesis that Ro 19-8022 acts as a partial agonist in this model, i.e. it reduces anxiety-like and aggressive behaviours without affecting motor coordination, its effects were compared to those of the full agonist, nitrazepam. Both Ro 19-8022 and nitrazepam decreased anxiety-like behaviour in timid mice and aggressive behaviour in aggressive mice. The effect of the full agonist, nitrazepam, was dose-dependent while the effect of the partial agonist, Ro 19-8022, was lower in magnitude and reflected its partial agonistic properties. Both drugs stimulated social behaviour in both groups of mice, presumably due to disinhibition of anxiety or aggression. The marked difference was in their effects on motor coordination, as nitrazepam, but not Ro 19-8022, produced motor impairment at higher doses. Thus, Ro 19-8022 produces anxiolytic-like and potent anti-aggressive effects without causing muscle relaxation or ataxia in the present model. Our data confirm that the main behavioural differences between partial and full benzodiazepine receptor agonists are in their side-effect profiles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Podhorna
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krsiak
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004924:Escape Reaction / Q000187:drug effects; D018757:GABA Modulators / Q000494:pharmacology; D058785:GABA-A Receptor Agonists; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009567:Nitrazepam / Q000494:pharmacology; D011759:Pyrrolidines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011807:Quinolizines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012919:Social Behavior
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D018757:GABA Modulators; D058785:GABA-A Receptor Agonists; D011759:Pyrrolidines; D011807:Quinolizines; C076809:Ro 19-8022; D009567:Nitrazepam