Effects of N-methyl-β-carboline-3-carboxamide on agonistic behaviour in male mice.

Effects of N-methyl-beta-carboline-3-carboxamide on agonistic behaviour in male mice. In this study, we examined the effects of acute administration of N-methyl-beta-carboline-3-carboxamide (FG 7142;1-20 mg/kg, ip), an inverse partial agonist at GABA(A)/BDZ/Cl- complex, on the agonistic behaviour elicited by isolation in male mice. Half of the mice were housed and employed as experimental or control animals; the remainder were used as much less thanstandardmuch greater than opponents and were temporally rendered anosmic by zinc sulphate. Individually housed mice were exposed to anosmic much less thanstandard opponentsmuch greater than in a neutral area 30 minutes after the drug administration. FG 7142 exhibited an ethopharmacological profile characterized by a significant reduction of the time spent in offensive behaviours (15 and 20 mg/kg) without affecting immobility, accompanied by a marked increase of defensive/submisive behaviours (10-20 mg/kg), reflecting likely an anxiogenic activity of the drug.