<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The present study investigated the sensitivity to stress and diazepam in weaning (21-day old) Wistar rats. A single 15-min session of forced swimming was used to induce anxiety-like behavior. The group that was forced to swim exhibited an increase in anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze (EPM) and open field test (OFT) compared to the non-stressed group. Diazepam (1 h before the tests) reduced anxiety-like behavior in rats forced to swim compared to the vehicle stressed group. The dose-response curve for diazepam indicated that the 0.5 mg kg<sup>−1</sup> dose (1 h before the EPM and OFT) was the minimum effective dose in reducing anxiety-like behavior without altering locomotor activity in weaning rats. These results indicate that weaning rats can develop anxiety-like behavior after a brief, single session of stress, and that rats at this age are seemingly more sensitive to diazepam than adult rats, which may be taken into account for clinical applications.</p></abstract>

The present study investigated the sensitivity to stress and diazepam in weaning (21-day old) Wistar rats. A single 15-min session of forced swimming was used to induce anxiety-like behavior. The group that was forced to swim exhibited an increase in anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze (EPM) and open field test (OFT) compared to the non-stressed group. Diazepam (1 h before the tests) reduced anxiety-like behavior in rats forced to swim compared to the vehicle stressed group. The dose-response curve for diazepam indicated that the 0.5 mg kg−1 dose (1 h before the EPM and OFT) was the minimum effective dose in reducing anxiety-like behavior without altering locomotor activity in weaning rats. These results indicate that weaning rats can develop anxiety-like behavior after a brief, single session of stress, and that rats at this age are seemingly more sensitive to diazepam than adult rats, which may be taken into account for clinical applications.

Sensitivity to diazepam after a single session of forced swim stress in weaning Wistar rats

Unidad Periférica Xalapa, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas

Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Neuroetología Universidad Veracruzana

Acta Pharmaceutica

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

The present study investigated the sensitivity to stress and diazepam in weaning (21-day old) Wistar rats. A single 15-min session of forced swimming was used...

Sensitivity to diazepam after a single session of forced swim stress in weaning Wistar rats

Published Online: Jul 04, 2018

Page range: 381 - 388

Accepted: Mar 18, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/acph-2018-0027

Keywords
anxiety, diazepam, weaning rats, elevated plus maze, forced swim, open field test

© 2018 Blandina Bernal-Morales et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Sensitivity to diazepam after a single session of forced swim stress in weaning Wistar rats

Published Online: Jul 04, 2018

Page range: 381 - 388

Accepted: Mar 18, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/acph-2018-0027

Keywordsanxiety, diazepam, weaning rats, elevated plus maze, forced swim, open field test

© 2018 Blandina Bernal-Morales et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
anxiety, diazepam, weaning rats, elevated plus maze, forced swim, open field test