Behavioral evidence for the role of noradrenaline in putative anxiolytic and sedative effects of benzodiazepines.

The effects of clonidine on the antianxiety and sedation of benzodiazepines (BZD) were assessed respectively in rats trained in a two-lever diazepam cue discrimination procedure and in single-lever fixed-ratio (FR) water-reinforced performance. Clonidine (10-60 micrograms/kg) significantly shifted to the left the dose-effect curves of diazepam in the discrimination paradigm. This treatment also shifted generalization dose-effect curves of the diazepam cue to chlordiazepoxide and CL 218,872 to the left in the drug discrimination procedure. The diazepam cue was antagonized in a dose-related manner by Ro 15-1788, but not by bicuculline. Clonidine also potentiated the rate-decreasing effects of diazepam on the FR schedule when the dose of diazepam was increased to 0.3 mg/kg, but not the milder rate-decreasing effect of CL 218,872 until the dose of CL 218,872 was increased to 10 mg/kg. The potentiating effects of clonidine on the stimulus control and depression of diazepam were antagonized by yohimbine. Yohimbine (1.0 mg/kg) also significantly shifted the dose-effect curve of diazepam cue to the right. Bicuculline (3 mg/kg) completely antagonized the rate-decreasing effect of diazepam (1 mg/kg), but significantly potentiated the rate-suppressant effect of clonidine (10 micrograms/kg). These results suggest that the central noradrenaline (NA) system may be involved not only in the antianxiety, but also the sadative action of BZD. The nature of NA involvement in relation to the different subtypes of BZD receptors requires further exploration.