Effects of acute and subchronic administration of propranolol on the social behaviour of mice; an ethopharmacological study.

The effects of dl-propranolol on the behaviour of adult male CD1 mice were examined after acute intraperitoneal injection (1.5 and 6 mg/kg) and after administration for 10-13 days in the drinking fluid at 12.4 mg/l (1.9 mg/kg daily) and 24.9 mg/l (4.6 mg/kg daily). The behaviour of each mouse was examined by ethological procedures during 5 min social encounters with an untreated partner in an aversive and a less aversive situation, an unfamiliar neutral cage and the animals' home cage. The behaviour of each mouse also was monitored for 5 min in the light-dark box. In the acute studies, behavioural observations commenced at 30 min after the injection. In the light-dark box, propranolol, after acute administration, increased the number of transitions between the light and dark compartments and increased scanning in the light area but propranolol had no significant effect after subchronic administration. In the home cage, propranolol significantly increased social investigation during social encounters and reduced exploratory activity at all doses tested, after both acute and subchronic administration. In the neutral cage, propranolol, after acute administration, increased digging of the sawdust and decreased exploratory activity at both dose levels, while at the largest dose it also increased social investigation. In the neutral cage, propranolol, given by subchronic administration, increased aggressive behaviour as well as social investigation and digging of the sawdust at both dose levels, while reducing non-social exploratory activity. The largest dose of propranolol also increased investigation of the substrate. These results indicate that propranolol increased reactivity to normal environmental and social stimuli, in addition to its anxiolytic profile of behavioural effects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)