ABSENCE OF AMNESTIC EFFECT OF AN ANXIOLYTIC 5-HT3 ANTAGONIST (BRL 46470A) INJECTED INTO BASOLATERAL AMYGDALA, AS OPPOSED TO DIAZEPAM

This experiment compares the effects of microinjections into the basol ateral amygdala nucleus of diazepam (DZP) and a new 5-HT3 receptor ant agonist, BRL 46470A, on aquisition and retention of an inhibitory avoi dance task by rats. The animals were microinjected with DZP or BRL 464 70A between 10 and 15 min before the learning trial. Retention testing 48 h later showed impaired retention in animals injected with DZP but not with BRL 46470A. These results show that BRL 46470A, a compound s uggested to have anxiolytic effects does not induce amnesia. This evid ence for a possible dissociation between anxiety-reducing and memory-d isrupting effects of a drug has implications, for one, for the underst anding of the neuronal substrates mediating these effects, and secondl y, for the search for anxiolytic agents devoid of undesirable side eff ects on memory processes.