Quock R M, Nguyen E
Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Rockford 61107-1897.
Life Sci. 1992;51(25):PL255-60. doi: 10.1016/0024-3205(92)90119-a.
Mice challenged with the anxiolytic benzodiazepine chlordiazepoxide exhibited significant increases in the percent of total entries into and percent of total time spent on open arms of an elevated plus maze. Systemic pretreatment with the nitric oxide synthase-inhibitor L-NG-nitro arginine (L-NOARG) antagonized these effects of chlordiazepoxide. This inhibitory effect of L-NOARG was stereospecifically and completely reversed by intracerebroventricular administration of L-arginine but not D-arginine. These findings suggest a possible role of nitric oxide in the anxiolytic effect of chlordiazepoxide in the elevated plus maze.
