Chronic benzodiazepine administration. VII. Behavioral tolerance and withdrawal and receptor alterations associated...

Clonazepam administration may lead to tolerance and "withdrawal" syndromes in clinical use. To assess the effects of this drug in a mouse model, we administered clonazepam (1.5 mg/kg/day) for 1-14 days and evaluated open-field activity, cortical clonazepam concentrations, and binding and function at the GABAA receptor. We also evaluated the same parameters at 1, 2, 4 and 7 days after discontinuation of 7 days of clonazepam administration. During chronic treatment, tolerance developed to the effects of clonazepam on motor activity at 7 days and persisted to 14 days. Cortical clonazepam concentrations did not change significantly during this period. Benzodiazepine receptor binding in vivo was decreased in cortex at days 7 and 14 of clonazepam, but was unchanged in other regions. Binding determined in vitro was also decreased at these points. TBPS (t-butylbicyclophosphorothionate) binding in cortex was slightly, but not significantly, decreased. Muscimol-stimulated chloride uptake was also decreased at days 7 and 14. After clonazepam discontinuation, open-field activity returned to control values at 1 day but was increased above baseline at 4 days. Benzodiazepine binding in vivo and in vitro, as well as TBPS binding, were increased at 4 days. Muscimol-stimulated chloride uptake was also increased at this point. These results indicate that chronic clonazepam administration is associated with tolerance to motoric effects, with discontinuation effects, and with receptor alterations in a mouse model. Clonazepam is similar to other benzodiazepines in this regard.