Evaluation The Effect of Intra Central Nucleus of Amygdala Administration of Methyl Jasmonate on Anxiety -Like and Social Behaviors Deficiency in Adult Male Rats Exposed to Acute Stress

The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of intra-central amygdala nucleus (CeA) administration of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) on anxiety-like and social behaviors in adult male rats exposed to acute stress.

The adult male rats were bilaterally cannulated in CeA. The rats were subjected to restraint stress conditions 1 h daily for a week. Then, the rats were treated with intra-CeA administration of MeJA (2.5, 5 and 10 µg/rat). Rats’ behaviors were assessed in elevated plus maze (EPM), open field (OF), and a three-chambered social approach task, respectively.

Rats exposed to restraint stress showed significant anxiogenic behaviors in EPM and OF tasks. However, bilateral microinjection of MeJA (5 and 10 µg/rat) in CeA decreased stress induced anxiety-like behavior indices in both tasks (p<0.01, p<0.05).  In addition, stressed rats showed social behavior deficits in the three-chambered social approach task (decreased sniffing time and time spent in compartment with stranger rats) as compared to untreated control rats. However, MeJA (10 µg/rat) ameliorated social behavior deficiency in stressed rats.

The data of this study showed MeJA value for attenuating stress-induced anxiety-like and social behavior deficits in rats.