National Library of Medicine: IGM
Full Record Screen
TITLE:
Ketanserin and anxiety levels: influence of
gender, estrous cycle, ovariectomy and ovarian hormones in female rats.
AUTHOR:
Diaz-Veliz G; Alarcon T; Espinoza C; Dussaubat N;
Mora S
AUTHOR AFFILIATION:
Unidad de Farmacologia, Facultad de Medicina,
Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
SOURCE:
Pharmacol Biochem Behav 1997 Nov;58(3):637-42
NLM CIT. ID:
97469590
ABSTRACT:
The influence of gender, estrous cycle,
ovariectomy and ovarian hormones on the behavioral effects of the 5-HT2 receptor
antagonist, ketanserin (KET), was studied. Intact males, female rats in the four stages of
the estrous cycle and ovariectomized (OVX) female rats 14 days after surgery were used.
The OVX rats received progesterone [PROG, 25 mg/kg, subcutaneously (SC)] and/or estradiol
benzoate (EB, 10 micrograms/kg, SC). KET (3 mg/kg, SC) was injected 30 min before testing.
All the animals were subjected to the following behavioral tests: exploration of an
elevated plus-maze and retention of a passive-avoidance response. KET enhanced the
exploration of the open arms in diestrous female rats but inhibited this behavior during
the other stages of the cycle and in OVX rats injected either with oil or EB. This dose of
KET was ineffective in males and in OVX rats injected with PROG. Furthermore, KET
inhibited the retention of the passive avoidance response in males, in diestrous and
metestrous female rats and in OVX rats injected with oil. In estrous females and in OVX
rats injected with EB, KET enhanced the passive-avoidance response. These results
demonstrate that the sensitivity to KET differs with the gender, estrous cycle and
hormonal treatment and suggest that central serotonergic activity is influenced by the
hormonal status of the animal.
When my office
lease expired at the end of 2004, I decided to turn it into a
"sabbatical" from my private practice. Many years ago, in my
grandfather's 89th year of life, he told me, "John, it is important
to smell the roses while you can still smell them." His life
gave living a very good reputation. It is also true that the
pursuit of that philosophy required my grandfather to to re-open his
assay office/ore market in Wickenburg, Arizona as a 75-year-old because
he had run a little short of retirement money. Thus, if blessed with his
luck and health, I'll be back.. --jjh
