Anxiogenic potential of ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin in rats.

INTRODUCTION The possible anxiogenic effects of fluoroquinolones, namely ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin, were investigated in adult Charles Foster albino rats of either sex, weighing 150-200 g. METHODS The drugs were given orally, in doses of 50 mg/kg for five consecutive days and the experiments were performed on the fifth day. The tests included open-field exploratory behaviour, elevated plus maze and elevated zero maze, social interaction and novelty-suppressed feeding latency behaviour. RESULTS The results indicate that ciprofloxacin- and norfloxacin-treated rats showed anxious behaviour in comparison to control rats in all the parameters studied. However, ciprofloxacin- and norfloxacin-treated rats did not differ significantly from each other in various behavioural parameters. CONCLUSION The present experimental findings substantiate the clinically observed anxiogenic potential of ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin.