The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of bulbectomy and acute administration of anxiolytic drugs (diazepam, 10 mg/kg; chlordiazepoxide, 10 mg/kg) on the behavior of both sham-operated and olfactory bulbectomized rats in two tests predictive of anxiolytic activity: plus-maze test and Vogel's conflict test. We investigated also the effect of flumazenil (10 mg/kg), a benzodiazepine receptors antagonist, both on control and drug-treated animals. We also evaluated behavior of animals in conditioned place aversion procedure. Our results show the decreased level of anxiety in bulbectomized animals comparing with sham-operated rats. Anxiolytic drugs further deepen this effect.