Emmett-Oglesby M, Spencer D, Lewis M, Elmesallamy F, Lal H
Eur J Pharmacol. 1983 Aug 19;92(1-2):127-30. doi: 10.1016/0014-2999(83)90117-6.
Animals can be trained to discriminate the presence of pentylenetetrazol, and this discrimination has previously been proposed as an animal bioassay for anxiogenicity. In rats made dependent on diazepam, pentylenetetrazol-like stimuli occurred during spontaneous or precipitated (with RO 15-1788) withdrawal; these stimuli were blocked by pentobarbital. These results demonstrate that the pentylenetetrazol-based animal model of anxiety can be used to objectively quantify a subjective aspect of benzodiazepine dependence/withdrawal.
