Ethological comparison of the effects of a bovine alpha s1-casein tryptic hydrolysate and diazepam on the behaviour of rats in two models of anxiety.
A bovine alpha s1-casein tryptic hydrolysate was previously demonstrated to display an anxiolytic-like activity in the conditioned defensive burying and in the elevated plus-maze models when i.p. injected. The present study assessed the anxiolytic-like effects of this tryptic hydrolysate after an oral administration in rats faced to the same behavioural situations using diazepam as a reference. In a first experiment, the behavioural effects of the hydrolysate in the conditioned defensive burying test were investigated at doses ranging 5-50 mg/kg. The results showed that the minimal dose required to elicit an anxiolytic-like activity is 15 mg/kg. In a second experiment, the alpha s1-casein tryptic hydrolysate (15 mg/kg, p.o.) was demonstrated to display an anxiolytic-like activity similar to diazepam (3 mg/kg, p.o.) in the conditioned defensive burying test and the elevated plus-maze. However, the ethological analysis of behaviour indicated that this hydrolysate has a different activity compared to diazepam. While diazepam induced a disinhibition state in rats, possibly related to the risk-taking behaviour observed after a benzodiazepine ingestion in humans, the tryptic hydrolysate did not display such a side effect. These results suggest that the mechanism of action of the bovine alpha s1-casein tryptic hydrolysate may differ from that of diazepam.
Violle
Nicolas
N
Neurosciences Comportementales, URAFPA, INRA UC12340, INPL-UHP, 54500 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
Messaoudi
Michaël
M
Lefranc-Millot
Catherine
C
Desor
Didier
D
Nejdi
Amine
A
Demagny
Benoit
B
Schroeder
Henri
H
D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D002364:Caseins / Q000494:pharmacology; D002417:Cattle; D003214:Conditioning, Classical; D003975:Diazepam / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012306:Risk; D014357:Trypsin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D002364:Caseins; C475729:casein hydrolysate; D014357:Trypsin; D003975:Diazepam