2026-08-23T06:36:31Zhttps://docta.ucm.es/rest/oai/request

oai:docta.ucm.es:20.500.14352/1288972025-12-16T01:01:31Zcom_20.500.14352_14col_20.500.14352_15

Hippocampus and locus coeruleus activity on rats chronically treated with diazepam Pérez, Mariela F. Nasif, Fernando J. Marchesini, Gerardo R. Maglio, Laura E. Ramírez, Oscar A. Abstract The neural mechanisms underlying benzodiazepine (BZD) dependence remain equivocal. The present studies tested the hypothesis that similar neural circuitry might be involved in the effects of chronic 7-chloro-1-methyl-5-phenyl-3H-1,4-benzodiazepine-2(1H)-one, diazepam (DZ, Roche), administration and withdrawal. The results of our study showed an increased hippocampal synaptic plasticity in slices from rats chronically treated with DZ (5 mg/kg/18 days), assessed as a decrease of the threshold in the stimulation rate for long-term potentiation (LTP) elicitation. Rats with the same schedule of DZ administration but without signs of withdrawal behaved similarly to vehicle-treated ones (VEH), in the threshold to induce LTP. Furthermore, the activity of locus coeruleus (LC) norepinephrine (NE) neurons in rats tested 24 h after the last DZ injection showed a significant increase. On the other hand, rats that after chronic DZ administration did not develop signs of withdrawal and exhibited a similar pattern of discharge on LC-NE nucleus compared with their controls. We conclude that chronic DZ administration enhances both hippocampal synaptic plasticity and activity of LC-NE neurons. This neural system could be the biological substrate underlying the behavioral alterations accompanying chronic DZ administration and withdrawal. 2025-12-15T08:31:20Z 2025-12-15T08:31:20Z 2001-07-08 journal article Pérez, Mariela F, et al. «Hippocampus and Locus Coeruleus Activity on Rats Chronically Treated with Diazepam». Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, vol. 69, n.o 3-4, julio de 2001, pp. 431-38. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0091-3057(01)00517-2. 10.1016/s0091-3057(01)00517-2 https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/128897 https://doi.org/10.1016/s0091-3057(01)00517-2 11509201 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091305701005172 eng restricted access Elsevier