Toyoshi Umezu
Environmental Health Science Division, National Institute for Environmental
Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0053, Japan
Abstract: This study examined effects of various psychoactive
drugs on the Vogel conflict test, where drinking behavior is punished by
electric shocks, in ICR mice to clarify the pharmacological features of
this method in mice. A benzodiazepine anxiolytic diazepam and a barbiturate
pentobarbital produced significant anticonflict effects, which mean that
these drugs increased the number of electric shocks mice received during
40-min test session. On the other hand, yohimbine (alpha2-receptor
antagonist), caffeine (adenosine-receptor antagonist), scopolamine (muscarinic
cholinergic antagonist), cyclazocine (sigma-receptor antagonist), cimetidine
(H2-receptor antagonist), baclofen (GABAB-receptor
agonist), MK-801 (NMDA-receptor antagonist), buspirone (5-HT1A-receptor
agonist), chlorpromazine (dopamine-receptor antagonist) and haloperidol
(dopamine-receptor and sigma-receptor antagonist) all did not produce anticonflict
effects in this test using ICR mice. The results suggest that the Vogel
conflict test is applicable to ICR mice and that this test in mice is appropriate
as a screening method for drugs that have apparent anti-anxiety actions.
Keywords: Vogel conflict test (mouse), Psychoactive drug, Anxiety