Stress-induced increase in brain neuroactive steroids: Antagonism by abecarnil

Acute foot shock stress elicits a selective and time-dependent increase of neuroactive steroid (pregnenolone, progesterone, allotetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone) concentrations in rat brain cortex, accompanied by a marked increase of plasma corticosterone. The brain cortical neuroactive steroid levels...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pharmacology, biochemistry and behavior biochemistry and behavior, 1996-05, Vol.54 (1), p.205-210
Main Authors: Barbaccia, Maria L., Roscetti, Gianna, Bolacchi, Francesca, Concas, Alessandra, Mostallino, Maria C., Purdy, Robert H., Biggio, Giovanni
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
3,Alpha-21-dihydroxy-5alpha-pregnan-20-one (allotetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone, THDOC)
Abecarnil
Animals
Anti-Anxiety Agents - pharmacology
Beta-Carboline
Biological and medical sciences
Brain Chemistry - drug effects
Brain Chemistry - physiology
Carbolines - pharmacology
Carbon Dioxide - toxicity
Corticosterone
Electroshock
FG7142
Foot shock
GABA A receptor
GABA-A Receptor Antagonists
gamma-Aminobutyric Acid - metabolism
Male
Medical sciences
Neuroactive steroids
Neuropharmacology
Pharmacology. Drug treatments
Pregnenolone
Progesterone
Psycholeptics: tranquillizer, neuroleptic
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopharmacology
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Receptors, GABA-A - drug effects
Steroids - metabolism
Stress, Psychological - metabolism
Time Factors
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Summary:Acute foot shock stress elicits a selective and time-dependent increase of neuroactive steroid (pregnenolone, progesterone, allotetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone) concentrations in rat brain cortex, accompanied by a marked increase of plasma corticosterone. The brain cortical neuroactive steroid levels peaked between 10 and 30 min poststress and returned to control values by 2 h. Abecarnil (0.3 mg/kg, IP), a beta-carboline derivative with anxiolytic properties, completely antagonized the effect of foot shock on brain cortical neuroactive steroids. A single administration of the anxiogenic beta-carboline FG 7142 (15 mg/kg, IP), in contrast, mimicked the effect of foot shock. These data support the hypothesis for the existence of a functional relationhip between brain neuroactive steroid concentrations and GABA A receptor function/emotional state of the animal.
ISSN:0091-3057
1873-5177
DOI:10.1016/0091-3057(95)02133-7