Behavioral interaction of adenosine and diazepam in mice.

Mice were implanted with chronic indwelling cannulae in the lateral cerebral ventricle. The behavioral interaction of intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of diazepam with intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.t.) injections of adenosine or 5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (NECA) was examined on spontaneous locomotor activity. Concurrent injections of i.c.v.t. adenosine and i.p. diazepam, at doses which had no significant effect on locomotor activity when given alone, acted synergistically to produce a marked depression of locomotor activity. In contrast, i.p. injections of diazepam did not potentiate the locomotor depressant effects of i.c.v.t. injections of NECA, an uptake resistant analog of adenosine. These findings support the possibility of specific benzodiazepine-adenosine interactions in the central nervous system.