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Insulin reverses anxiety-like behavior evoked by streptozotocin-induced diabetes in mice

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Abstract

Clinical and preclinical data suggest that diabetes is often associated with anxiety. Insulin, a peptide hormone has been reported to have key functions in the brain and in alleviating several psychological impairments, occur as a consequence of diabetes. However, its effects in diabetes-induced anxiety are scanty. The present study examined whether; insulin can reverse the anxiety-like behavior in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes in mice. After 8-weeks of diabetes induced by STZ (200 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (i.p.)), mice were given insulin (1–2 IU/kg/day, i.p.)/ diazepam (1 mg/kg/day, i.p.)/ vehicle for 14 days and evaluated for behavioral effects in three validated models of anxiety viz. elevated plus maze (EPM), light–dark (L/D) and hole board (HB) tests. STZ-induced diabetic mice elicited significant behavioral effects which include, decreased percentage open arm entries and time in EPM, reduced latency and time spent in light chamber in L/D, decreased number of head dips, squares crossed and rearings in HB tests respectively. Insulin treatment attenuated the behavioral effects evoked by STZ-induced diabetes in mice as indicated by increased open arms activity in EPM, decreased aversion in light chamber during L/D test and increased exploratory behavior in HB test. In conclusion, this study revealed that insulin can reverse anxiety-like behavior in STZ-induced diabetes in mice.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani and University Grants Commission, India for providing support and research facilities to pursue this work.

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The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

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  1. Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani, Rajasthan, 333031, India

    Deepali Gupta, Mahesh Radhakrishnan & Yeshwant Kurhe

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  1. Deepali Gupta
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Correspondence to Deepali Gupta.

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Gupta, D., Radhakrishnan, M. & Kurhe, Y. Insulin reverses anxiety-like behavior evoked by streptozotocin-induced diabetes in mice. Metab Brain Dis 29, 737–746 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11011-014-9540-5

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