Effects of harmaline on anxiety-related behavior in mice

Harmaline (HA) is a beta-carboline commonly known to provoke motor alterations through activation of cells in the inferior olive. In addition, this pharmacological agent also induces cognitive disturbances such as motor and spatial learning impairments. In order to complete and extend these data, we examined the effects of this drug on state anxiety in mice, employing elevated plus maze test. We report here that lower doses of harmaline (5-10 mg/kg) have anxiogenic since higher doses (20 mg/kg) have anxiolytic-like properties. Overall pattern of our behavioral results provides evidence that harmaline also acts on emotional reactivity in mice by influencing their decision making when placed in an anxiogenic situation.