Evaluation the Simultaneous Effects of Progesterone and Vitamin C on Anxiety in Male Wistar Rats

The prevalence of anxiety in women and men are different. This indicates the influence of sex hormones on anxiety. Furthermore, oxidative stress leads to anxiety. Because of conflicting reports about the effects of progesterone on anxiety, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of anxiogenic or anexiolytic effects of different doses of progesterone in the absence or presence of vitamin c. In the present study, 63 male rats were divided in nine groups including: control, sham (sesame oil as a progesterone solvent), 3 groups of the progesterone (5, 10 and 30 mg/kg), vitamin c (80 mg / kg), 3 groups of different doses of progesterone plus vitamin c (80 mg/kg). Period of intraperitoneal injection was 5 days. Elevated plus maze was used for studying the anxiety related behavior in the first and fifth days. Data analysis was performed by using One-Way ANOVA. A low dose of progesterone (5 mg/kg) had anxiogenic effect (p <0.05). However, the two other doses (10, 30 mg/kg) had anxiolytic effects which increased the open arm entry (p <0.05). Vitamin C (80mg/kg) alone and as a pretreatment of progesterone (5, 10, 30 mg/kg) reduced anxiety (p <0.01). It seemed that a low dose of progesterone had an anxiogenic effect and at the high doses, progesterone had anxiolytic effect. Moreover, vitamin c as an antioxidant may improve the anxiolytic effects of progesterone, especially in high doses.