Effect of biphenyl dimethyl dicarboxylate and fluoxetine on performance of normally-fed and protein malnourished psychologically stressed mice in elevated plus maze

Stress alters psychological diseases such as anxiety and depression. Protein malnutrition (PM) contributes to psychological disorders. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of biphenyl dimethyl dicarboxylate (DDB) on anxiety of psychologically stressed protein malnourished mice as compared to its effect in normally-fed mice. Fluoxetine (FLX) was used as reference standard. Animals were randomly divided into two major groups, normally-fed group provided with 20% casein diet and a protein malnourished one was provided with a diet containing 8% casein for 21 consecutive days. The given diet was continued during the experiment. Stress was induced using the learned helplessness technique (LH). Each animal was exposed for 5 days to the psychological stress session either alone or in association with drug administration following completion of 21 days under the selected diet regimen. DDB and fluoxetine were given in doses of 100 mg/kg p.o. and 10 mg/kg i.p., respectively before exposure to foot shocks daily. Anxiety was evaluated using elevated plus maze (EPM) and the whole brain wet tissue monoamine levels, namely dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin were estimated.Protein malnutrition in the presence of stress resulted in increasing number of open arm entries and head dipping as compared to the normally-fed stressed mice. Stress in the presence or absence of protein malnutrition significantly increased rearing frequency as compared to the corresponding mice. Fluoxetine in the presence of stress significantly decreased open arm time spent and number of open arm entries as compared to protein malnourished stressed mice. Protein malnutrition increased stretched attend posture