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Effects of chronic benzodiazepine exposure on stress-induced neuroactive steroid levels
1Department of Pharmacology, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Bldg. 1, Columbia, SC 29208, USA. marlene@med.sc.edu
Abstract:
Since the neuroactive steroid 3alpha,5alpha-tetrahydroprogesterone (3alpha,5alpha-THP) has pharmacologic actions similar to benzodiazepine agonists such as diazepam, the influences of chronic diazepam exposure on stress-induced brain levels of 3alpha, 5alpha-THP were examined. Groups of male, female, orchidectomized (ORCH), and ovariectomized (OVX) rats were compared, along with OVX groups given hormone replacement. Chronic diazepam exposure diminished stress-induced brain levels of 3alpha,5alpha-THP and serum corticosterone, although gender, gonadectomy and hormone replacement had disparate influences on these two endocrine responses to stress.