Social isolation does not alter brain regional benzodiazepine binding site numbers, affinity and coupling in the rat

• Published in: Psychopharmacologia Vol. 106; no. 4; pp. 565 - 569
• Main Authors: MORINAN, A, PARKER, V, RICH, D. A, CARIUK, P, HORTON, R. W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer 01-04-1992
• Subjects: Animals; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; Behavior, Animal - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Brain Chemistry - drug effects; Brain Chemistry - physiology; Flunitrazepam - pharmacology; Kinetics; Male; Medical sciences; Neuropharmacology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Psycholeptics: tranquillizer, neuroleptic; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Receptors, GABA-A - drug effects; Receptors, GABA-A - metabolism; Receptors, GABA-A - physiology; Social Isolation; Space life sciences; Rat; Psychotropic; Rodentia; Central nervous system; Binding site; Stress; Vertebrata; Biological fixation; Mammalia; Tranquillizer; Social isolation; Animal; Benzodiazepine derivatives; Anxiety; Brain (vertebrata)
• ISSN: 0033-3158; 1432-2072
• DOI: 10.1007/BF02244831

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were differentially housed for 21 days immediately after weaning. Isolated animals showed a selective suppression of exploration of the light side of a two compartment box; spending significantly less time in the light, and making fewer transitions between the light and dark compartments compared to socially reared controls. However, both basal and GABA-stimulated [3H] flunitrazepam binding was unaltered in the frontal cortex, hippocampus, amygdala and cerebellum following social isolation. These results are discussed in relation to other studies on central benzodiazepine receptor changes following a variety of experimental stressors.