The noxious effect of stress has been widely related with the development of psychopathologies. Particularly an acute session of restraint provoked an enhanced anxiety-like behaviour. We previously have showed that this excessive anxiety induced by stress is related with an increase of the levels of p35 selectively in the Basolateral Amygdala (BLA). In the present work, we try to elucidate if the normalization of this anxiogenic behavior with prior midazolam (MDZ) administration also prevents the increase on p35 expression induced by restraint. Adults Wistar rats (290-320 grs) received a dose of 0.5 mg/kg of MDZ i.p. or vehicle (VEH) and later on subjected to a 30 min restraint session. One day later, animals were behaviourally tested on the elevated plus maze (EPM). Another group of animals received a dose of 0.5 mg/kg of MDZ i.p. or vehicle (VEH) followed by the stressful experience. Thirty minutes after stress rats were sacrificed for the immunohistochemichal analysis. We found that prior MDZ administration prevents both the increase on p35 levels in BLA and the enhanced anxiety provoked by stress.
