Use of a conflict procedure in pigeons to characterize anxiolytic drug activity: evaluation of N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonists.

Because of its apparent effectiveness in detecting non-benzodiazepine anxiolytic agents, a recently introduced conflict procedure in pigeons was used to evaluate possible anti-punishment activity of various N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) antagonists. Punished responding was significantly increased by competitive NMDA antagonists (CPP, CGS 19755), but not by noncompetitive NMDA antagonists acting at either the ion channel (PCP, ketamine, MK-801), the glycine site (kynurenic acid, 7-chlorokynurenic acid, ACPC), or the polyamine site (ifenprodil) of the NMDA receptor complex; the proposed glutamate antagonist, riluzole, was also ineffective.