Chlordiazepoxide-induced potentiation of hexobarbitone sleeping time is reduced by ACTH(1-24).

The effects of ACTH(1-24) on the potentiation of hexobarbitone sleeping time by chlordiazepoxide (CDP) were investigated in the rat. CDP (10 mg/kg, IP) significantly (p less than 0.001) potentiated hexobarbitone (100 mg/kg, IP)-induced sleeping time. This effect was significantly (p less than 0.01) reduced by ACTH(1-24) (10 micrograms/100 g, IP), although ACTH did not influence the response to hexobarbitone in the absence of CDP. The possible implications of these findings are discussed in relation to recent observations concerning the possible interactions between ACTH and benzodiazepines.