The antianxiety-like effects of antagonists of group I and agonists of group II and III metabotropic glutamate receptors after intrahippocampal administration

Rationale: Substances acting as agonists of group II mGlu receptors with joint group I mGlu receptor antagonist effects, or group II mGlu receptors agonists, were shown to induce antianxiety-like effect in rats after intrahippocampal administration. Objective: The present study was undertaken to establish whether a more selective group I, II, III mGlu receptors agonists/antagonists induce anxiolytic-like effects after injection to the hippocampus. Methods: (S)-4-Carboxyphenylglycine [(S)-4CPG] and 7-(hydroxyimino)cyclopropan[b]chromen-1α-carboxylic ethyl ester (CPCCOEt), selective antagonists at group I mGlu receptors, or (+)1S, 2S, 5R, 6S-2-aminobicyclo[3.1.0]hexane-2,6-dicarboxylic acid (LY354740) and (2S, 1'S, 2'S)-2-(carboxycyclopropyl)glycine (L-CCG-I), two selective agonists of group II mGlu receptors, as well as (1S, 2S, 4S, 5S)-2-aminobicyclo[2.1.1]hexane-2,5-dicarboxylic acid-I (ABHxD-I), an agonist at all three groups of mGlu receptors and L-serine-O-phosphate (L-SOP), an agonist at group III mGlu receptors, were used. All compounds were administered into the CA1 region of the dorsal hippocampus. The conflict drinking Vogel test in rats was used to estimate the anxiolytic-like effects of all the compounds. Results: After intrahippocampal administration, both selective group I mGlu receptors antagonists (S)-4CPG and CPCCOEt, as well as the selective agonists of group II mGlu receptors LY 354740 and L-CCG-I, and an agonist of group III mGlu receptors, L-SOP, induced anticonflict effects. Conclusion: Selective antagonists of group I mGlu receptors and agonists of group II and group III mGlu receptors exhibit anxiolytic-like activity in the conflict drinking test. It seems that the hippocampus may be one of the brain structures involved in the anticonflict effect of mGlu receptor agonists/antagonists.