Cerebellar GABA A receptors and anxiolytic action of diazepam

Alcohol-sensitive ANT rats have a point mutation in the cerebellum-enriched GABA A receptor α6 subunit, which makes this subunit and the ANT rats in vivo highly sensitive to benzodiazepine agonists. In the elevated plus maze test of anxiety, diazepam produced a greater anxiolytic response in the ANT...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Brain research 1999-08, Vol.837 (1), p.184-187
Main Authors: Vekovischeva, Olga Y., Haapalinna, Antti, Sarviharju, Maija, Honkanen, Aapo, Korpi, Esa R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis of Variance
Animals
Anxiety
Anxiety - physiopathology
Benzodiazepine
Cerebellum
Cerebellum - physiology
Diazepam - pharmacology
Elevated plus maze
Ethanol
GABA A receptor subtype
Male
Maze Learning - drug effects
Maze Learning - physiology
Point Mutation
Rats
Rats, Mutant Strains
Reaction Time
Receptors, GABA-A - genetics
Receptors, GABA-A - physiology
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Summary:Alcohol-sensitive ANT rats have a point mutation in the cerebellum-enriched GABA A receptor α6 subunit, which makes this subunit and the ANT rats in vivo highly sensitive to benzodiazepine agonists. In the elevated plus maze test of anxiety, diazepam produced a greater anxiolytic response in the ANT rats than in the control, alcohol-insensitive AT rats. The ANT rats were less sensitive to the sedative effect of diazepam in the staircase test of exploration. The results thus suggest that the mutant cerebellar granule cell layer receptors can participate in GABA A receptor-activation-induced anxiolysis.
ISSN:0006-8993
1872-6240
DOI:10.1016/S0006-8993(99)01691-1