Ethyl beta-carboline-3-carboxylate reverses the diazepam effect on cerebellar cyclic GMP.

The administration of ethyl beta-carboline-3-carboxylate (beta-CCE), a ligand for benzodiazepine receptors, did not affect the cerebellar cyclic GMP level in mice, but giving beta-CCE together with diazepam significantly inhibited the diazepam-induced decrease in cyclic GMP. The fact that no antagonism was observed when beta-CCE was given 15 min before the diazepam treatment indicates that beta-CCE is short-acting. These biochemical observations support the conclusions from behavioral and electrophysiological studies which indicated that beta-CCE is a short-acting antagonist of benzodiazepines.