Effect of oxprenolol on some fear-induced behavioral responses and hyperthermia in rats subjected to inescapable shocks.

The effect of oxprenolol (100 mg/kg p.o.) on the development of hyperthermia in a shock enclosure and on exploratory and grooming responses in an exploration box, was investigated in rats subjected to inescapable shocks once daily for 5 days. The hyperthermic response of shocked rats was found to be significantly reduced by oxprenolol treatment. Exploratory behavior, which was suppressed by previous exposure to shocks, was not influenced by oxprenolol. However, under oxprenolol treatment grooming diminished from the first day of the trial onward, both in duration and frequency, as though habituation had occurred. The results are interpreted as evidence of partial effectiveness of oxprenolol in suppressing fear-induced somatic and behavioral manifestations.