BEHAVIORAL-EFFECTS OF ACUTE AND LONG-TERM ADMINISTRATION OF CATNIP (NEPETA-CATARIA) IN MICE

Catnip or catmint (Nepeta cataria) is a plant used extensively to trea t human diseases and in toys for pets. We investigated the effects of acute and long-term administration of the plant on some behaviors of m ice. The plant was fed as 10%; of the normal diet for 2 h/d for 1 or 7 d. Acute and long-term dosing increased both rearing and locomotion f requencies observed in an open field. Acute exposure to catnip increas ed stereotyped behavior and susceptibility to seizures, did not interf ere with haloperidol-induced catalepsy, and decreased sleeping time af ter sodium pentobarbital administration. Long-term exposure induced to lerance to stereotypic behavior, catalepsy and sleeping time, and incr eased the susceptibility to seizures induced by picrotoxin and strychn ine. An amphetamine-like effect of catnip was suggested to explain the acute effects, while dispositional and functional adaptative changes were considered involved with the long-term effects.