EFFECTS OF ALPRAZOLAM ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MOLONEY SARCOMA VIRUS-INDUCED TUMORS IN STRESSED MICE

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of alprazolam (1 mg /kg i.p.) on the development of autochthonous tumors induced by the Mo loney sarcoma virus (MSV) in BALB/c female mice subjected to stress. E nhancement of MSV-induced tumor incidence and growth was observed, tog ether with a delay in the usual prompt regression of the tumors, when programmed white sound anxiety-stress was administered immediately fol lowing MSV i.m. inoculation. However, a depressant effect on tumor siz e and incidence was observed when stress was administered before virus inoculation. Treatment with alprazolam was found to reverse partially the adverse effects of postinoculation stress, and also to inhibit th e beneficial effects of the preinoculation administration of stress on tumor development. Pretreatment with Ro 15-1788 (10 mg/kg s.c.), a ce ntral benzodiazepine antagonist, resulted in a suppression on both eff ects of alprazolam in stressed mice.