[Comparative study of the interoceptive effects of afobazole and diazepam].

Interoceptive effects of afobazole (20 mg/kg, i.p.) and diazepam (0.5 and 5.0 mg/kg, i.p.) have been investigated using operant drug discrimination (DD) and passive avoidance "step through" state dependent dissociative learning (DL) paradigms in male autobred rats. It is established that afobazole in contrast to classical anxiolytics (diazepam) does not produce the state dependence (DL and DD). In substitution tests, afobazole (20 mg/kg, i.p.) caused saline level responding in diazepam-trained rats and did not influence the general profile of interoceptive diazepam stimulus. The data suggest the absence of overlap in receptor mechanisms of the interoceptive effects of afobazole and diazepam and low probability of drug dependence development after long-term (clinical) afobazole treatment.