Effects of psychotropic drugs on discrimination conditioning in olfactory bulbectomized rats

In the acquisition process of discrimination avoidance conditioning, bilateral olfactory bulbectomized rats showed poor discrimination conditioning since both the avoidance responses to positive conditioned stimuli (CS) and the incorrect responses to negative CS increased. The effects of various psychotropic drugs upon this poor discrimination conditioning were examined. Chlordiazepoxide 5 mg/kg, IP, produced an increase in the avoidance responses with simultaneous decrease in the incorrect responses, thus making the discrimination possible. Chlorpromazine 2 mg/kg, IP, worsened the discrimination by decreasing both the avoidance and incorrect responses as compared with saline-treated rats. Amitriptyline 10 mg/kg, IP, decreased the incorrect responses without affecting the avoidance responses, thus making the discrimination possible. Methamphetamine 0.5 mg/kg, IP, increased both the avoidance and incorrect responses resulting in poor discrimination conditioning. From these results, it was found that the poor discrimination conditioning of O.B. rats was improved by psychotropic drugs like chlordiazepoxide and amitriptyline.