BEHAVIORAL PROFILE OF BENTAZEPAM, AN ANXIOLYTIC BENZODIAZEPINE, IN SOCIAL ENCOUNTERS BETWEEN MALE-MICE

We designed this study to examine the effects of betanzepam (1, 3 and 5 mg/kg), an anxiolytic benzodiazepine, administered acutely or subchr onically for 10 days on social encounters between male mice using an a nimal model of isolation-induced aggression. 10 min of diadic interact ions were staged between a singly housed and an anosmic mouse in a neu tral area. These encounters were video-taped and the accumulated time allocated by subjects to 10 broad behavioural categories was estimated . Besides other behaviours, the aggressive and motor behaviours were e valuated 30 min after the last injection using an ethologically based analysis. Bentazepam (3 and 5 mg/kg) decreased time spent in offensive behaviours (threat and attack) without a significant increase of immo bility, suggested that this compound exerts a selective antiaggressive action in male mice. No tolerance to bentazepam antiaggressive activi ty was observed after repeated administration of the drug. (C) 1998 Li ppincott-Raven Publishers.