title: Anxiolytic effects of a semipurified constituent of guaraná seeds on rats in the elevated T-maze test.
abstract: The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of chronic administration of a semi-purified extract (Purified Extract A--PEA; 4, 8, or 16 mg/kg) of PAULLINIA CUPANA (guaraná) seeds on rats submitted to the elevated T-maze (ETM) model of generalized anxiety and panic disorders. The selective serotonin (5-HT) reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) paroxetine (PAR; 3 mg/kg), was used as a positive control. To evaluate possible serotonergic and dopaminergic neurotransmission involvement in the action of PEA during the ETM test, ineffective doses of metergoline (MET; 5-HT (2A/2C) antagonist receptor) or sulpiride (SUL; dopaminergic receptor antagonist) were acutely administered together with the PEA. The locomotion of the rats was assessed in a circular arena following each drug treatment. Both PEA (8 and 16 mg/kg) and PAR (3 mg/kg) increased one-way escape latencies from the open arm of the ETM, indicating a panicolytic effect compared to the control group. MET, in higher doses (1, 2 or 3 mg/kg), produced a panicolytic effect in the ETM test, whereas SUL did not (10, 20 or 40 mg/kg). The panicolytic effect produced by PEA (8 mg/kg) was blocked by both MET (2 mg/kg) and SUL (20 mg/kg), whereas the panicolytic effect produced by PAR (3 mg/kg) was blocked only by MET (2 mg/kg). These results show that chronic treatment with PEA produces a panicolytic effect during the ETM test, and that the dopaminergic and the serotonergic neurotransmission systems are involved in this effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, State University of Maringá, Maringá, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Camila Marroni
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Roncon
authors.forename: Camila
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Biesdorf de Almeida
authors.forename: Traudi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: João Carlos Palazzo
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: de Mello
authors.forename: Elisabeth Aparecida
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Audi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015259:Dopamine Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004924:Escape Reaction / Q000187:drug effects*; D008124:Locomotion / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008711:Metergoline / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010200:Panic / Q000187:drug effects; D017374:Paroxetine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D032126:Paullinia; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012639:Seeds; D018490:Serotonin Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013469:Sulpiride / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D015259:Dopamine Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D018490:Serotonin Agents; D008711:Metergoline; D017374:Paroxetine; D013469:Sulpiride