Description
Rats were trained to discriminate the stimulus properties of the benzodiazepine receptor partial inverse agonist beta-carboline-3-carboxylate acid methyl amide (FG 7142) (5.0 mg/kg) or the alpha 2-adrenergic receptor antagonist 17 alpha-hydroxyyohimban-16 alpha-carboxylic acid methyl ester (yohimbine) (3.0 mg/kg) from vehicle in a two-lever, food-motivated operant task. These compounds have in common a beta-carboline structure and anxiogenic behavioral profiles. The yohimbine discriminative stimulus was mimicked by the alpha 2-adrenergic receptor antagonist idazoxan and antagonized by the alpha 2-adrenergic receptor agonist clonidine, indicating that the yohimbine stimulus was mediated through the alpha
Subject
Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists/pharmacology; Animals; Appetite Depressants/*pharmacology; Carbolines/*pharmacology; Clonidine/pharmacology; Dioxanes/pharmacology; Discrimination (Psychology)/*drug effects; Electroshock; Generalization; Idazoxan; Male; Norepinephrine/*physiology; Psychological/psychology; Rats; Sprague-Dawley; Stimulus/drug effects; Stress; Yohimbine/pharmacology