sodium-oxybate and phenazepam

The system of double coaxial cylinders filled with water was used as a device for studying simple extrapolation behaviour of rats. The amount of rats which were able to dive under the lower edge of the inner cylinder, without reaching the bottom of the outer cylinder and the latency of this avoidance reaction were considered as a measure of extrapolation ability. This reaction was altered by the pretreatment of animals with cycloheximide, a protein synthesis inhibitor. Piracetam as a standard nootropic, sodium and lithium hydroxybutyrate as substances with a potential nootropic effect were shown to be able to antagonize the damaging effect of cycloheximide on the avoidance performance. Benzodiazepine tranquilizer, phenazepam, in contrast to nootropics, evokes additional worsening of extrapolation reaction. Normalization of avoidance disturbed by cycloheximide, can be used as an adequate and informative approach for screening of nootropics.

Topics: Adaptation, Physiological; Animals; Anti-Anxiety Agents; Avoidance Learning; Benzodiazepines; Benzodiazepinones; Cycloheximide; Drug Interactions; Hydroxybutyrates; Male; Organometallic Compounds; Piracetam; Psychotropic Drugs; Rats; Reaction Time; Sodium Oxybate

The effects of phenazepam and sodium hydroxybutyrate on the somatic manifestations, ultrastructure of the cortex and lipid content of the adrenals in rats exposed to immobilization were examined. Both the drugs had the stress-protective effect, decreasing the stress manifestations at alarm and resistance stages.

Topics: Adrenal Cortex; Animals; Anti-Anxiety Agents; Benzodiazepines; Benzodiazepinones; Humans; Hydroxybutyrates; Immobilization; Lipid Metabolism; Organ Size; Rats; Sodium Oxybate; Spleen; Stress, Psychological; Thymus Gland

The effects of sodium hydroxybutyrate (100 mg/kg); phenazepam (1 mg/kg), apomorphine (0.1 mg/kg and haloperidol (1 mg/kg) on the electrophysiological sleep pattern were studied in rats during 7-day alcohol withdrawal after its voluntary consumption for 13 months. It was shown that alcohol withdrawal led to profound disorders in the sleep-waking cycle. Sodium hydroxybutyrate prevented these disturbances and brought sleep to normal. Phenazepam exerted a powerful sedative and hypnotic effects but did not improve the balance of sleep phases. Apomorphine displayed a tendency to sleep normalization. However, this effect was short-term. Haloperidol did not eliminate abstinence manifestations in the sleep pattern.

Topics: Alcoholism; Animals; Anti-Anxiety Agents; Apomorphine; Benzodiazepines; Benzodiazepinones; Haloperidol; Humans; Male; Psychotropic Drugs; Rats; Sleep Wake Disorders; Sodium Oxybate; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome