kayedi bakhtiari N, eshagh harooni H, moazedi A A, mohammadi M. Effect of zinc chloride on anxiety and its interaction with the androgenic system in adult male rats. Physiol Pharmacol 2014; 18 (2) :249-258
URL:
http://ppj.phypha.ir/article-1-979-en.html
Abstract: (6983 Views)
Introduction: Previous studies have shown that zinc deficiency and castration could increase anxiety, while
administration of zinc or testosterone has anxiolytic effects. This study examined the effect of zinc chloride
administration on anxiety in gonadectomized male rats.
Methods: For this purpose, adult male Wistar rats (weighing 200-250 g) were castrated. One month after surgery,
different doses of zinc chloride (0, 5, 7.5 and 10 mg/kg IP) were administered 30 min before the elevated plus maze
test. Time spent and the number of entries in open arms was recorded as measures of anxiety and the number of closed
arm entries recorded as locomotor activity.
Results: 1) Zinc chloride significantly decreased the time spent and the number of entries in the open arms in
gonadectomized rats compared to the control group. 2) Zinc chloride administration could not decrease anxiety, even in
the testosterone pretreated gonadectomized male rats.
Conclusion: Our findings showed that zinc significantly increased anxiety in gonadectomized rats. Since our
previous findings showed that zinc chloride decreased the anxiety level in intact male rats, it seems that zinc chloride
effects on anxiety would change in relation to the presence or absence of the gonads and it might interact with
androgenic system through an effect on the testis.