Influence of oestrogen on spontaneous and diazepam-induced exploration of rats in an elevated plus maze.

摘要: An elevated plus-maze, used to identify anxiolytic effects of drugs (Pellow et al., 1985), reflected as increased open-arm exploration, was employed in cycling and ovariectomised rats, determine the effect diazepam on cycle and, after ovariectomy, investigate possible influences treatment with oestradiol (10 or 100 μg/kg, s.c.) (acute: 1 day subchronic: 3 days) rats (1 mg/kg, i.p.), studied 3, 24 72 hr cessation treatment. Cycling females, exhibiting consecutive 4-day oestrous cycles 15 days surgery, were used. There a tendency for exploration by proestrous diestrous, compared other phases rats. Rats treated subchronic also exhibited exploration. The anti-anxiety clearly shown metestrous but not proestrous, diestrous abolished tested acute small doses estradiol attenuated administration hormone. results suggest that oestradiol, administered physiological doses, may have an inhibitory diazepam-induced anxiolysis.