Effects of stress and etifoxine on pentobarbital-induced loss of righting reflex in Balb/cByJ and C57BL/6J mice.
We hypothesized that functional changes in the GABAergic system induced by stress would differ between two inbred mouse strains BALB/cByJ and C57BL/6J. We compared the effects of restraint stress and of the anxiolytic drug etifoxine (EFX) on the duration of pentobarbital-induced loss of righting reflex (hypnotic effect) in the two strains. Naive BALB/cByJ mice were less sensitive than naive C57BL/6J mice to the hypnotic effect of pentobarbital. C57BL/6J mice exhibited a shortening in the duration of pentobarbital-induced hypnosis following stress whereas stress had no effect in BALB/cByJ mice. EFX reversed the shortening of pentobarbital-induced hypnosis elicited by stress in C57BL/6J and shortened the duration of pentobarbital-induced hypnosis after stress in BALB/cByJ mice. Alterations in the GABAergic function in BALB/cByJ mice could be corrected by EFX, an enhancer of GABAergic transmission.
Verleye
Marc
M
Département de Pharmacologie, Laboratoires Biocodex, Zac de Mercières, Chemin d'Armancourt, 60200 Compiègne, France. m.verleye@biocodex.fr
Heulard
Isabelle
I
Nuss
Philippe
P
Gillardin
Jean-Marie
JM
D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010078:Oxazines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010424:Pentobarbital / Q000494:pharmacology; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000378:metabolism; D012018:Reflex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D010078:Oxazines; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D010424:Pentobarbital; C002125:etifoxine