Animal model of anxiety: effect of metergoline in the genetically hypertensive rats of Koletsky type and in the rats of Wistar strain.

The experiments were carried out in the adult normotensive rats of Wistar strain and in the genetically hypertensive rats of Koletsky type; both sexes were used. The behavior in control and in druged animals was traced in new environment, in holeboard and in elevated plus-maze. In the control animals, when compared to the normotensive rats of Wistar strain, the genetically hypertensive rats of both sexes show elevated neophobia, reduced rate habituation of exploratory activity; the males of the latter strain then show reduced rate of rearing in holeboard and elevated aversion towards open space and hight in the elevated plus-maze. Metergoline at the dose 8 mg/kg b.w. normalized the rate of habituation of exploratory activity, reduced the aversion towards the open space and hight in elevated plus-maze in the genetically hypertensive rats of both sexes in the first session, in the males of normotensive rats in the second session. Moreover, Metergoline elevated directed exploration in the normotensive males and in both sexes of the genetically hypertensive rats and elevated rearing in the males of the genetically hypertensive rats. It can be concluded that Metergoline represents a potential anxiolytic drug.