Chlordiazepoxide attenuates response suppression induced by corticotropin-releasing factor in the conflict test

✍ Scribed by Karen Thatcher Britton; Janet Morgan; Jean Rivier; Wylie Vale; George F. Koob

• Book ID: 104771369
• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1985
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 550 KB
• Volume: 86
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0033-3158
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00431704

✦ Synopsis

The role of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in mediating the stress response was studied using a behavioral test in which anxiety or conflict influence performance. Rats implanted with intraventricular cannulae were tested in a Geller-Seifter conflict test modified for incremental shock. CRF produced a dose-dependent attenuation of punished and nonpunished responding in the conflict test. Chlordiazepoxide increased punished, but not unpunished, responding and produced a dose-dependent reversal of CRF-induced response suppression. CRF had no effect on tail flick or hot-plate analgesia tests. The results support the hypothesis that CRF produces behavioral effects consistent with "anxiety" or an increased responsiveness to stress.