Effects of chlordiazepoxide, pentobarbital, buspirone, chlorpromazine, and morphine in the stretched attend posture (SAP) test

Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1988;94(3):433-4. doi: 10.1007/BF00174704.

Abstract

The stretched attend posture (SAP) in the mouse is an investigatory forward elongation of the body in a novel environment. In a previous study, the anxiolytics diazepam, clobazam, and phenobarbital reduced SAP, and low doses of the non-anxiolytics imipramine and chlorpromazine were ineffective, results which prompted the investigator to propose the SAP test as a screening method for anxiolytics. However, diazepam and clobazam also increased immobility. In the present study, the anxiolytics chlordiazepoxide, pentobarbital, and buspirone and behaviorally active doses of the non-anxiolytics chlorpromazine and morphine reduced SAP and tended to increase immobility. We concluded that therapeutic-class specificity has not been demonstrated for the SAP test.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anxiety / psychology*
  • Behavior, Animal / drug effects*
  • Buspirone / pharmacology
  • Chlordiazepoxide / pharmacology
  • Chlorpromazine / pharmacology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Morphine / pharmacology*
  • Pentobarbital / pharmacology
  • Posture
  • Tranquilizing Agents / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Tranquilizing Agents
  • Chlordiazepoxide
  • Morphine
  • Pentobarbital
  • Buspirone
  • Chlorpromazine