title: Evaluation of anxiolytic-like effects of some short-acting benzodiazepine hypnotics in mice.
abstract: Anxiolytic-like effects of some short-acting benzodiazepine hypnotics were examined with experimental paradigms of anxiety using an elevated plus-maze in male ICR mice. Diazepam was used as a positive control. The drug at a dose of 1 mg/kg significantly increased the percentage of time spent in the open arms and percentage of the number of open arm entries in the elevated plus-maze. Triazolam, brotizolam, rilmazafone, and lormetazepam also showed an anxiolytic-like effect as indicated by the significant increase in the percentage of time spent in the open arms and percentage of the number of open arm entries. Effects of short-acting benzodiazepine hypnotics used in the study were more potent than those of diazepam. In addition, the doses affecting the elevated plus-maze by benzodiazepine hypnotics were much smaller than those that showed muscle-relaxant activity measured by the rotarod test, indicating that anxiolytic-like effects of benzodiazepine hypnotics had high specificity and selectivity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicinal Pharmacology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishino
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: Kenshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takechi
authors.forename: Chiaki
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kamei
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001007:Anxiety / Q000517:prevention & control; D001381:Azepines / Q000494:pharmacology; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000494:pharmacology; D003975:Diazepam / Q000494:pharmacology; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008140:Lorazepam / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D014229:Triazolam / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D001381:Azepines; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D014229:Triazolam; C020960:brotizolam; C023842:lormetazepam; D008140:Lorazepam; D003975:Diazepam