Effects of midazolam, DMCM and lindane on potentiated startle in the rat
- 1 November 1989
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Nature in Psychopharmacology
- Vol. 99 (3) , 362-365
- https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00445558
Abstract
Forty-eight male Wistar rats were exposed to contingent light-shock combinations and 48 rats received light and shock stimuli in a random order. One day after fear conditioning the animals were tested for startle potentation after injection of midazolam (0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 mg/kg, IP) or DMCM (methyl-6,7-dimethoxy-4-ethyl-beta-carboline-3-carboxylate; 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 mg/kg IP) or lindane (0, 7.5, 15.0, 30.0 mg/kg PO). Midazolam attenuated potentiated startle dose dependently and the inverse benzodiazepine agonist DMCM had the opposite effect. The effects of lindane on startle amplitudes were identical to those of DMCM, indicating that lindane has anxiogenic effects on behavior. It is suggested that the anxiogenic effects of lindane are mediated by an effect at the GABA-ionophore complex.This publication has 30 references indexed in Scilit:
- The effect of benzodiazepines and β-carbolines on gabastimulated chloride influx by membrane vesicles from the rat cerebral cortexBiochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 1986
- Pharmacological and anatomical analysis of fear conditioning using the fear-potentiated startle paradigm.Behavioral Neuroscience, 1986
- Effects of insecticides on GABA‐induced chloride influx into rat brain microsacsJournal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, 1986
- Pharmacological and anatomical analysis of fear conditioning using the fear-potentiated startle paradigm.Behavioral Neuroscience, 1986
- Lesions of the amygdala, but not of the cerebellum or red nucleus, block conditioned fear as measured with the potentiated startle paradigm.Behavioral Neuroscience, 1986
- Neurotoxic insecticides inhibit GABA-dependent chloride uptake by mouse brain vesiclesBiochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 1985
- A benzodiazepine agonist and contragonist have hypothermic effects in rodentsNeuropharmacology, 1985
- Interactions of lindane, toxaphene and cyclodienes with brain-specific -butylbicyclophosphorothionate receptorLife Sciences, 1984
- Reflex modification in the domain of startle: I. Some empirical findings and their implications for how the nervous system processes sensory input.Psychological Review, 1980
- Reflex modification in the domain of startle: I. Some empirical findings and their implications for how the nervous system processes sensory input.Psychological Review, 1980