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

LLANO LÓPEZ, L; CAIF, F; GARCÍA, S; FRAILE, M; LANDA, A; BAIARDI, G; LAFUENTE, JV; BRASZKO, JJ; BREGONZIO, C; GARGIULO, PA

POLISH ACAD SCIENCES INST PHARMACOLOGY

Año: 2012 vol. 64 p. 54 - 54

t has been recognized that the stress-related peptides are involved in anxiety states. Angiotensin II receptor blockade by systemic administration of the AT1 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 (Los2) and 4 (Los4) µg of losartan, an AT1 receptor antagonist, on the behaviour of the not stressed and acutely stressed rats in an elevated ?plus? maze. Under non-stress conditions Los4 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 Los4 in both not stressed (p<0.05) and stressed (p<0.05) rats. When not stressed and stressed Los4 animals were compared, time per entry and the number