Investigation the protective effect of vitamin C on anxiety and oxidative stress modulation in male rats treated with progesterone

Abstract

The prevalence of anxiety in women and men are different. This indicates the influence of sex hormones on anxiety. According to conflicting reports about the effects of Progesterone on anxiety, the aim of this study is to investigate the anxiogenic or anexiolytic effects of different doses of progesterone on absence or presence of vitamin C. Sixty-three male rats were used in nine groups including: control, sham, 3 groups of the progesterone (5, 10 and 30 mg/kg), Vitamin C (80mg / kg), combination group (different doses of progesterone plus vitamin C). Period of intraperitoneal injection was 5 days. Elevated plus maze was used for studying the anxiety related behavior. After termination of behavioral testing days, animals were decapitated and prefrontal cortex dissected to measure some of the oxidative stress markers,which are the indicator of lipid peroxidation and activities of antioxidative enzymes such as Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT) and Peroxidase (POD) were determined in the rat's prefrontal cortex. Progesterone (5 mg/kg) had anxiogenic effect (p<0.05). While in other doses (10, 30 mg/kg) it had an anxiolytic effect (p<0.05). Vitamin C (80 mg/kg) alone and as a pretreatment of progesterone (5, 10, 30 mg/kg) reduced anxiety (p <0.01). The level of malondialdehyde (MDA) increased in progesterone 5 mg/kg (p<0.001) and decreased CAT activity (p<0.05). Progesterone (10 and 30 mg/kg) decreased MDA and CAT levels activity (p<0.05 and p<0.01). Vitamin C alone and vitamin C plus different doses of progesterone treatment groups caused decreasion in the MDA levels and SOD activities (p <0.001). It seems that progesterone (5 mg/kg) has anxiogenic effect and at the high doses, progesterone has anxiolytic effect. As an antioxidant, vitamin C can improve the anxiolytic effects of progesterone. Also different doses of progesterone have different effects on oxidative stress parameters.