Anxiolytic-like effect of losartan injected into amygdala of the acutely stressed rats.

Journal Title: Pharmacological Reports - Year 2012, Vol 64, Issue 1

Abstract

It has been recognized that the stress-related peptides are involved in anxiety states. Angiotensin II receptor blockade by systemic administration of the AT(1) receptor antagonists has been proposed as a new treatment possibility for anxiety disorders. For better understanding of the related mechanisms, in this study we evaluated effects of bilateral intraamygdaloid injections of 2 (LOS 2) and 4 (LOS 4) μg of losartan (LOS), a selective AT(1) receptor antagonist, on the behavior of the not stressed and acutely stressed rats in an elevated "plus" maze. Under non-stress conditions, LOS 4 increased time spent in the open arms (p < 0.01), number of extreme open arm arrivals (p < 0.05), time per entry (p < 0.01), and the number of total arm entries (p < 0.05) showing thus considerable anxiolytic activity. The open arm extreme arrivals were increased by LOS 4 in both not stressed (p < 0.05) and stressed (p < 0.05) rats. When no stressed and stressed LOS 4 animals were compared, time per entry and the number of closed arm entries (p < 0.05, both) were decreased in the latter group. Moreover, the LOS 4 stressed rats had significantly increased open/closed arm quotient (p < 0.05) as compared to the both control and LOS 4 non-stress group (p < 0.05, both). These findings suggest that the AT(1) receptor blockade in amygdala is important for the anxiolytic action of LOS (and probably other AT(1) receptor blockers) under both non-stress and stress conditions.

Authors and Affiliations

Luis López, Fernando Caif, Sebastián García, Miriam Fraile, Adriana Landa, Gustavo Baiardi, José Lafuente, Jan Braszko, Claudia Bregonzio, Pascual Gargiulo

Keywords

Related Articles

Dual effects of heparin on BMP-2-induced osteogenic activity in MC3T3-E1 cells.

Heparin displays several types of biological activities by binding to various extracellular molecules, including pivotal roles in bone metabolism. We have previously reported that heparin competitively inhibits the bindi...

Influence of specific endothelin-1 receptor blockers on hemodynamic parameters and antioxidant status of plasma in LPS-induced endotoxemia.

The potent vasoconstrictor endothelin-1 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of plasma oxidative stress seen in sepsis. The selective endothelin receptor blockers BQ123 and BQ788 were used to investigate the importanc...

Altered response of human umbilical artery to 5-HT in gestational diabetic pregnancy.

The aim of this investigation was to evaluate serotonin (5-HT) action on isolated human umbilical arteries (HUA) from normal and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) pregnancies. 5-HT caused HUA contraction in a concentra...

Update on the management of polycystic ovary syndrome.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder that affects 5% to 10% of women in reproductive age. It is the most simply defined as the association of hyperandrogenism (diagnosed clinically and/or bioch...

Prenatal stress decreases glycogen synthase kinase-3 phosphorylation in the rat frontal cortex.

It has been postulated that hyperactive glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) is an important factor in the pathogenesis of depression, and that this enzyme also contributes to the mechanism of antidepressant drug action. I...

Download PDF file
  • EP ID EP135172
  • DOI -
  • Views 82
  • Downloads 0

How To Cite

Luis López, Fernando Caif, Sebastián García, Miriam Fraile, Adriana Landa, Gustavo Baiardi, José Lafuente, Jan Braszko, Claudia Bregonzio, Pascual Gargiulo (2012). Anxiolytic-like effect of losartan injected into amygdala of the acutely stressed rats.. Pharmacological Reports, 64(1), 54-63. https://europub.co.uk/articles/-A-135172