Peptide Selank Enhances the Effect of Diazepam in Reducing Anxiety in Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Conditions in Rats.

Preclinical animal study evaluating anxiolytic activity using the elevated plus maze test

“To test this hypothesis, we evaluated the anxiolytic activity of Selank and diazepam in rats both under conditions of unpredictable chronic mild stress and in its absence, after the individual and combined administration of these compounds using the elevated plus maze test.”

Male Wistar rats

“Male Wistar rats (Animal Breeding Facility-Branch of Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russia) with an average weight of 400 g were used in the experiment.”

48 rats divided into rest and stress groups

“The animals (n = 48) were divided into 2 groups: a “rest” group (n1 = 24), which included animals that were not exposed to UCMS, and a “stress” group (n2 = 24), in which the animals were exposed to a combination of several types of mild stressors”

Combination of diazepam and Selank was most effective in reducing anxiety under unpredictable chronic mild stress conditions

“whereas the combination of diazepam with Selank was the most effective in reducing anxiety in unpredictable chronic mild stress conditions.”

Anxiety indicator values after simultaneous use of diazepam and Selank under chronic stress did not differ from pre-stress values

“In conditions of chronic stress, anxiety indicator values after the simultaneous use of diazepam and Selank did not differ from the respective values observed before chronic stress exposure.”