Abstract
The present study shows that postnatal “consistent” handling (CH) of rats had long-lasting improving effects on coping with an stressful task (i.e. two-way active avoidance), and that such effects were partially prevented by acute Ro 15-1788 (antagonist of benzodiazepine receptor-BZR; 5 mg/kg) administration. Long-lasting detrimental effects in the same task were also observed in rats which received postnatal “inconsistent” handling (INCH), effects that were slightly increased by acute Ro 15-1788 treatment. Finally, Ro 15-1788 tended to increase avoidance acquisition in non-handled (NH) animals. The observed effects of Ro 15-1788 could be partially attributed to a differential modulation of the process of avoidance acquisition depending on postnatal treatments producing different levels of emotionality.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Bodnoff SR, Suranyi-Cadotte B, Quirion R, Meaney MJ (1987) Postnatal handling reduces novelty-induced fear and increases [3H]flunitrazepam binding in rat brain. Eur J Pharmacol 144:105–107
Coover GD, Ursin H, Levine S (1978) Plasma corticosterone levels during active-avoidance learning in rats. J Comp Physiol Psychol 82:170–174
Fernández-Teruel A, Escorihuela RM, Núñez FJ, Zapata A, Boix F, Salazar W, Tobeña A (1991) The early acquisition of two-way (shuttle-box) avoidance as an anxiety-mediated behavior. Brain Res Bull 26:173–176
Fernández-Teruel A, Escorihuela RM, Driscoll P, Tobeña A (1991) Stressful situations and putative endogenous ligands for benzodiazepine receptors: the importance of controlling the specific characteristics of the aversive situations and differential emotionality in experimental animals. Experientia (in press)
File S, Hitchcott PK (1990) A theory of benzodiazepine dependence that can explain whether flumazenil will enhance or reverse the phenomena. Psychopharmachology 101:525–532
Gray JA (1982) The nuropsychology of anxiety: an enquiry into the functions of the septo-hippoccampal system. Oxford University Press, New York
Izquierdo I, Pereira ME, Medina JH (1990) Benzodiazepine receptor ligands influences on acquisition: suggestion of an endogenous modulatory mechanism mediated by benzodiazepine receptors. Behav Neural Biol 54:27–41
Lal H, Kumar B, Forster MJ (1988) Enhancement of learning and memory in mice by a benzodiazepine antagonist. FASEB J 2:2707–2711
Levine S, Wetzel A (1963) Infantile experiences, strain differences, and avoidance learning. J Comp Physiol Psychol 56:879–881
Levine S, Haltmeyer GC, Karas GG, Denenberg VH (1967) Physiological and behavioral effects of infantile stimulation. Physiol Behav 2:55–59
Meaney MJ, Aitken DH, van Berkel C, Bhatnagar S, Sapolsky RM (1988) Effect of neonatal handling on age-related impairments associated with the hippoccampus. Science 239:766–768
Robichaud RC, Sledge KM, Hefner MA, Goldberg ME (1973) Propanolol and chlordiazepoxide on experimentally induced conflict and shuttle-box performance in rodents. Psychopharmacology 32:157–160
Sansone M (1975) Facilitation of avoidance learning by chlordiazepoxide-amphetamine combinations in mice. Psychopharmacology 41:117–121
Tsuda A, Tanaka M, Nishikawa T, Hirai H, Paré WP (1984) Effects of unpredictability versus loss of predictability of shock on gastric lesions in rats. Physiol Psychol 11:287–290
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Escorihuela, R.M., Fernández-Teruel, A., Núñez, F.J. et al. Infantile stimulation and the role of the benzodiazepine receptor system in adult acquisition of two-way avoidance behavior. Psychopharmacology 106, 282–284 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02801985
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02801985