The present study addressed the role of environmental light intensity on the exploratory behavior of rats in the elevated plus-maze, with the specific goal of determining the light intensity threshold for triggering the aversion to the open arms. Male Wistar-derived rats were tested in the elevated plus-maze under different illumination levels: 0, 1, 3, 10, 30, 100 and 300 lx. Exploratory behav...

Argyreia speciosa (Convolvulaceae) is regarded as a ‘Rasayan’ drug in the Ayurveda system of medicine to cure diseases of the nervous system. This work researched the action of the hydroalcoholic extract of A. speciosa root (ASE) on experimentally-induced anxiety, depression and convulsion in rodents. ASE (100, 200, 500 mg/kg, p.o.) was tested for the elevated plus maze, open field, forced swim...

Anxiety and mood disorders have become very significant affections in the last decades. According to WHO at least one mental disease occurred per year in 27% of EU inhabitants (more than 82 mil. people). It is estimated that by 2020, depression will be the main cause of morbidity in the developed countries. These circumstances call for research for new prospective drugs with anxiolytic and anti...

Lactobacillus plantarum K68 (isolated from fu-tsai) and fruit-vegetable ferment (FVF) have been tested for antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties in a rat model of insulin resistance, induced by chronic high fat-fructose diet. Fifty rats were equally assigned into control (CON), high fat-fructose diet (HFFD), HFFD plus K68, HFFD plus FVF, and HFFD plus both K68 and FVF (MIX...

The present study was undertaken to investigate the beneficial effects of Atorvastatin and Simvastatin in cognitive dysfunctions of rats. Alprazolam, Scopolamine and high fat diet (HFD) induced amnesia served as interoceptive memory models where as, Water-maze and Elevated plus-maze served as exteroceptive models. A total of 38 groups of rats were used in this investigation. Escape latency time...

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is suggested to play an important role in mediating fear, anxiety, and depression. The results of the studies of the actions of CRF in the mPFC regarding anxiety-related behavior, however, seem contradictory. In one study, microinjection of CRF into the mPFC produced an increase in anxiety-related behavior on the elevat...

The present study demonstrated that an omega (n)-3 fatty acid, ethyl-eicosapentaenoic acid (ethyl-EPA), supplemented diet significantly attenuated the stress/anxiety behavior of rats in the "open field" and elevated plus maze, which was induced by subchronic intracerebroventricular administration of proinflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-1beta. Ethyl-EPA also reduced the rise in serum cortic...

The present study examined the effects of diazepam (a widely used anxiolytic benzodiazepine) on the behavioural response of pigs to three novel experimental situations used to measure anxiety-related behaviour in rodents. Twelve weaned pigs (two pairs from each of the three litters) were tested in an elevated plus-maze at the age of 6 weeks, a light/dark test at the age of 7 weeks and an open-f...