Drug discrimination in rats successively trained to discriminate diazepam and pentobarbital. 1990

J Nierenberg, and N A Ator
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205.

In Phase 1, rats were trained to discriminate either diazepam or pentobarbital from the no-drug condition. Diazepam, pentobarbital, triazolam, meprobamate, and zopiclone occasioned 100% drug-lever responding in tests under both training conditions; but the generalization gradients determined under the pentobarbital training condition were shifted to the right of those determined under the diazepam training condition. In Phase 2, the training drugs were reversed for the two groups, as well as which lever was paired with drug or no drug, in an effort to produce greater specificity of the Phase 2 discrimination. In Phase 2 tests, the Phase 1 training drug occasioned responding on the Phase 2 drug lever in all rats, suggesting that retraining overrode the Phase 1 discrimination. There were indications, however, that Phase 1 training influenced Phase 2 responding: 1) Rats ceased responding partway through no-drug training sessions using the former drug lever, and criterion performance was somewhat more difficult to maintain in Phase 2. 2) In Phase 2, dose-effect curves determined under pentobarbital training were shifted even further to the right of those determined under diazepam training than in Phase 1.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008620 Meprobamate A carbamate with hypnotic, sedative, and some muscle relaxant properties, although in therapeutic doses reduction of anxiety rather than a direct effect may be responsible for muscle relaxation. Meprobamate has been reported to have anticonvulsant actions against petit mal seizures, but not against grand mal seizures (which may be exacerbated). It is used in the treatment of ANXIETY DISORDERS, and also for the short-term management of INSOMNIA but has largely been superseded by the BENZODIAZEPINES. (From Martindale, The Extra Pharmacopoeia, 30th ed, p603) Dapaz,Equanil,Meprospan,Miltown,Méprobamate Richard,Tranmep,Visano
D010424 Pentobarbital A short-acting barbiturate that is effective as a sedative and hypnotic (but not as an anti-anxiety) agent and is usually given orally. It is prescribed more frequently for sleep induction than for sedation but, like similar agents, may lose its effectiveness by the second week of continued administration. (From AMA Drug Evaluations Annual, 1994, p236) Mebubarbital,Mebumal,Diabutal,Etaminal,Ethaminal,Nembutal,Pentobarbital Sodium,Pentobarbital, Monosodium Salt,Pentobarbitone,Sagatal,Monosodium Salt Pentobarbital
D010879 Piperazines Compounds that are derived from PIPERAZINE.
D011919 Rats, Inbred Strains Genetically identical individuals developed from brother and sister matings which have been carried out for twenty or more generations or by parent x offspring matings carried out with certain restrictions. This also includes animals with a long history of closed colony breeding. August Rats,Inbred Rat Strains,Inbred Strain of Rat,Inbred Strain of Rats,Inbred Strains of Rats,Rat, Inbred Strain,August Rat,Inbred Rat Strain,Inbred Strain Rat,Inbred Strain Rats,Inbred Strains Rat,Inbred Strains Rats,Rat Inbred Strain,Rat Inbred Strains,Rat Strain, Inbred,Rat Strains, Inbred,Rat, August,Rat, Inbred Strains,Rats Inbred Strain,Rats Inbred Strains,Rats, August,Rats, Inbred Strain,Strain Rat, Inbred,Strain Rats, Inbred,Strain, Inbred Rat,Strains, Inbred Rat
D003975 Diazepam A benzodiazepine with anticonvulsant, anxiolytic, sedative, muscle relaxant, and amnesic properties and a long duration of action. Its actions are mediated by enhancement of GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC ACID activity. 7-Chloro-1,3-dihydro-1-methyl-5-phenyl-2H-1,4-benzodiazepin-2-one,Apaurin,Diazemuls,Faustan,Relanium,Seduxen,Sibazon,Stesolid,Valium
D004192 Discrimination, Psychological Differential response to different stimuli. Discrimination, Psychology,Psychological Discrimination
D004193 Discrimination Learning Learning that is manifested in the ability to respond differentially to various stimuli. Discriminative Learning,Discrimination Learnings,Discriminative Learnings,Learning, Discrimination,Learning, Discriminative
D005795 Generalization, Stimulus The tendency to react to stimuli that are different from, but somewhat similar to, the stimulus used as a conditioned stimulus. Generalizations, Stimulus,Stimulus Generalization,Stimulus Generalizations
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia

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