Changes in benzodiazepine-GABA receptor coupling in an accumbens-habenula circuit after chronic diazepam treatment

1. The effects of subacute and of chronic diazepam treatment upon binding to the GABAA receptor have been examined by use of receptor autoradiography for determining flunitrazepam (FNZP) binding, GABA enhancement of FNZP binding. SR 95531 2-(3'-carboxy-2',propyl)-3-amino-6-p-methoxyphenylpyridazinium bromide) binding and GABA binding in parallel sections from rat brain. Prior to the autoradiographic procedures, a behavioural assessment of the rats was made in the elevated plus-maze test of anxiety. 2. Rats receiving diazepam either subacutely (3 days) or chronically (28 days) by both continuous release, from previously implanted subcutaneous silastic capsules, or by daily injection (5 mg kg-1) did not display changes in FNZP or GABA binding in any of the 47 brain structures analysed. Similarly, there were no significant effects of treatment upon mean total entries or on the open:total ratio for entries in the elevated plus-maze. 3. There were reductions in the GABA enhancement of FNZP binding in the nucleus accumbens and central grey after subacute diazepam treatment. This effect persisted in the nucleus accumbens after chronic treatment. Less marked effects occurred in the lateral habenula, dorsal raphe and substantia nigra pars compacta. In the dorsal tegmental nucleus, GABA enhancement of FNZP binding was enhanced after chronic treatment and this was accompanied by reductions in SR 95531 binding. Treatment did not otherwise affect SR 95531 binding, with the exception of the dorsal raphe where binding was decreased after subacute treatment. 4. In general, the patterns of binding produced by the two different treatment routes were very similar. However, SR 95531 binding was lower in certain hippocampal fields in the i.p. treated animals compared to the rats implanted with silastic capsules. 5. It is concluded that repeated administration of diazepam evokes changes in benzodiazepine and GABA receptor coupling, and to a lesser extent changes in low affinity GABA binding, in certain interrelated brain structures of which an accumbens-habenula circuit is a central feature. These changes occur soon after the initiation of diazepam treatment, suggesting that they are unlikely to account for tolerance to the anxiolytic effects of diazepam but may trigger and/or accompany other critical neurochemical events.