Lack of evidence for a role of endorphinergic mechanisms in mediating a discriminative stimulus produced by diazepam in rats

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained in a two-lever food-reinforced procedure to discriminate between the effect of saline and diazepam (2.5 mg/kg). After acquisition of this discrimination, the ability of morphine to generalize, and naloxone to antagonize the diazepam discriminative stimulus was tested. The rats did not generalized the effect of morphine, and naloxone did not antagonize the diazepam discriminative stimulus whether it was given prior or subsequent to diazepam. These data suggest a lack of involvement of endorphins in mediating the discriminative stimulus property of diazepam.