Topic: Benzodiazepine tolerance

Benzodiazepine tolerance is a well-documented consequence of their chronic use, the mechanism of which is not yet fully understood. To investigate tolerance development in mice, we have treated C57BL/6J male and female mice with 10 mg/kg diazepam once daily for 27 days (study 1) or twice daily for 14 days (study 2). In study 1, the Spontaneous Locomotor Activity (SLA) test captured sedation consistent with the reduction in the total distance travelled by diazepam-treated mice of both genders across time, compared to vehicle-treated mice (two-way ANOVA). These effects did not diminish over time