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Effects of buspirone and other anxiolytics on punished key‐pecking in the pigeon
Author(s) -
Nanry Kevin P.,
Howard James L.,
Pollard Gerald T.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
drug development research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.582
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1098-2299
pISSN - 0272-4391
DOI - 10.1002/ddr.430240308
Subject(s) - buspirone , chlordiazepoxide , ipsapirone , alprazolam , benzodiazepine , oxazepam , diazepam , psychology , pharmacology , sedative , anxiolytic , chemistry , agonist , medicine , psychiatry , anxiety , receptor
Pigeons were trained to peck a key on a multiple schedule of reinforcement in which 30 responses in the presence of a white cue light produced 3 sec of access to food, and 30 responses in the presence of a red cue light produced 3 sec of access to food and an electric shock, which suppressed responding. Intramuscular injection of the sedative‐hypnotic anxiolytics chlordiazepoxide (0.3–10 mg/kg), alprazolam (0.1–3.0 mg/kg), and zopiclone (10–100 mg/kg) substantially increased punished responding. The nonsedative anxiolytics buspirone (0.1–3.0 mg/kg) and ipsapirone (1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg) increased punished responding as much as did the sedative‐hypnotics. Buspirone had similar effects in benzodiazepine‐naive and benzodiazepine‐experienced pigeons. Chlorpromazine (tested at 1–30 mg/kg) and imipramine (tested at 1–30 mg/kg) only decreased unpunished responding at high doses. These results show that (1) the antipunishment effects of buspirone and ipsapirone in the pigeon are replicable in another laboratory, (2) buspirone's effect occurs in benzodiazepine‐experienced pigeons, and (3) alprazolam and zopiclone have antipunishment effects in the pigeon.