Bowen S E, Wiley J L, Balster R L
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298-0613, USA.
Eur J Pharmacol. 1996 Sep 26;312(2):131-6. doi: 10.1016/0014-2999(96)00459-1.
Previous research has shown that abused inhalants (i.e., the volatile solvents) share some of the pharmacological properties of drugs used in the treatment of anxiety. In an attempt to further examine commonalities in the effects of inhalants and central nervous system depressant drugs, the behavioral effects of inhaled 1,1,1-trichloroethane, toluene, methoxyflurane and the convulsant vapor flurothyl were examined and compared to those of diazepam in the elevated plus-maze, a test used to predict antianxiety effects. After inhalant exposure or diazepam injection, mice were placed in the center of an elevated plus-maze and the number of entries and time spent in each type of arm (open versus closed) were measured during 5-min tests. Exposure to increasing concentrations of toluene produced concentration-related increases in the total number of open arm entries and the total time spent on the open arms, a pattern of behavioral effects similar to that produced by diazepam. A similar pattern was observed for increasing concentrations of 1,1,1-trichloroethane and methoxyflurane but changes in open arm activity were only observed at concentrations that increased locomotor activity. Conversely, only decreases in open arm time and number of entries were observed for flurothyl. The increasing evidence for commonalities in the behavioral effects of volatile solvents and depressant drugs may provide a foundation for understanding the neurobehavioral basis of inhalant abuse.
先前的研究表明，滥用的吸入剂（即挥发性溶剂）具有一些用于治疗焦虑症药物的药理特性。为了进一步研究吸入剂和中枢神经系统抑制药物作用的共性，研究人员检测并比较了吸入1,1,1 - 三氯乙烷、甲苯、甲氧氟烷以及惊厥性蒸气氟替尔后的行为效应与地西泮在高架十字迷宫中的行为效应，高架十字迷宫是一种用于预测抗焦虑效果的测试。在吸入剂暴露或注射地西泮后，将小鼠置于高架十字迷宫的中央，并在5分钟的测试过程中测量其进入每种类型臂（开放臂与封闭臂）的次数以及在各臂停留的时间。暴露于浓度不断增加的甲苯中，开放臂进入总数和在开放臂上花费的总时间呈现出与浓度相关的增加，这种行为效应模式与地西泮产生的模式相似。对于浓度不断增加的1,1,1 - 三氯乙烷和甲氧氟烷也观察到了类似的模式，但仅在增加运动活性的浓度下才观察到开放臂活动的变化。相反，对于氟替尔，仅观察到开放臂时间和进入次数的减少。挥发性溶剂和抑制药物行为效应共性的证据不断增加，这可能为理解吸入剂滥用的神经行为基础提供一个基础。
