Caffeine withdrawal syndrome in social interaction test in mice: Effects of the NMDA receptor channel blockers, memantine and neramexane

Antagonists acting at N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors have been demonstrated repeatedly to attenuate the expression of drug and alcohol withdrawal syndromes. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of NMDA receptor blockade on the expression of behavioural signs of caffeine withdrawal syndrome, assessed using the social interaction paradigm. Adult male Swiss mice were treated with increasing doses of caffeine (40-100 mg/kg, i.p., twice daily) for 8 days. Twenty-four hours after the last injection of caffeine, there were significant increases in duration and frequency of defensive behaviours, as well as decreased locomotor activity. These changes faded within 72 hours. Pretreatment with a single dose of caffeine (1 mg/kg; 24 h after the end of repeated caffeine administration and 30 min prior to the test) completely reversed these withdrawal-related changes. Separate groups of mice were treated i.p. with different doses of memantine (1, 3 or 10 mg/kg) or neramexane (MRZ 2/579; 1, 3 or 10 mg/kg) 24 h after the last caffeine injection. Both compounds dose-dependently reduced the expression of defensive behaviours while increasing motor activity. These data suggest that NMDA receptor blockade may counteract the acute behavioural effects of caffeine withdrawal.