Fig. 7.
Effects of pretreatment with βCCT (α1GABAA-preferring antagonist) and flumazenil (“F,” nonselective benzodiazepine-site antagonist) on attenuation of species-typical behavior and observable ataxia induced by alprazolam and diazepam. Data are mean ± S.E.M. of scores cumulated across a test day with multiple observation periods. Multiple doses of βCCT (0.3–3.0 mg/kg, i.v.) and a single dose of flumazenil (0.3 mg/kg, i.v.) were administered prior to the session in which peak doses of alprazolam or diazepam were administered (benzodiazepine dose depended on individual dose-response function for each behavioral effect). Top panels: Tactile/oral exploration attenuated by alprazolam (1.0 mg/kg, data point above vehicle “V”) or diazepam (10 mg/kg, i.v.) was attenuated by flumazenil (F) but not βCCT. Note that *P < 0.05 vs. vehicle (V); horizontal dashed lines represent levels of behavior without drug treatment. Bottom panels: Observable ataxia was induced by alprazolam (0.3 mg/kg) or diazepam (3.0 mg/kg) and attenuated by flumazenil (0.3 mg/kg) and dose dependently by βCCT (1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg). Note that *P ≤ 0.05, vs. vehicle (V), Bonferroni t tests, n = 4.