Effects of diazepam on cell proliferation in cerebral cortex, anterior pituitary and thymus of developing rats.

The effect of a single dose (5mg/kg b.w.) of diazepam on the cell proliferation in selected organs of 11-day old female Sprague-Dawley rats has been investigated. The stathmokinetic method (counting of mitoses after colchicine administration) has been used for evaluation of cell replication. The significant fall of the mitotic activity in the parietal cerebral cortex and the anterior pituitary gland was found. On the other hand, the increase of the mitotic activity in thymus was observed. The reported data, taken together with the previous observations from our and other laboratories, suggest the involvement of benzodiazepine receptor in the control of cell proliferation.