Predicting anxiety responses to halogenated glucocorticoid drugs using the hexobarbital sleep time test.

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are used to treat numerous diseases, but their use in limited by adverse side effects. One such effect is occasional increased anxiety. Since the intensity of hepatic microsomal oxidation has been shown to alter responses to GC, we examined the possibility that rats with lower rates of hepatic GC metabolism would have increased anxiety.

Duration of hexobarbital-induced sleep and monoamine oxidase activities in rat brain: Focus on the behavioral activity and on the free-radical oxidation.

The present study is focused on the relationship between monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity and hepatic content of cytochrome P450 (CYP), which reflects the status of microsomal oxidation. For vital integrative evaluation of hepatic microsomal oxidation in rats, the hexobarbital sleep test was used, and content of CYP was measured in hepatic microsomes. Rats with short hexobarbital sleep time (SHST) had higher content of microsomal CYP than rats with long hexobarbital sleep time (LHST).