These findings indicate that the anxiety-related effects of NKP608 are strain-, sex- and test-dependent. Moreover, the present data confirm and extend the therapeutic potential of NK1 receptor antagonists for the treatment of anxiety.

No abstract

We have recently identified, using two inbred rat strains (Lewis and SHR), the first two loci for an emotionality-related behavior in rats (locomotion in the central area of the open field test). Aiming to develop an alternative genetic model that will help to corroborate the existence of these loci and that could serve as a tool in the study of anxiety, we have started breeding two new rat lines. From a highly heterogeneous population, we have selectively bred rats for four generations with high and low scores for central locomotion in the open field. At the fourth generation, the new outbred lines differed from each other for the selected trait by as much as threefold. At each generation, all rats were also tested in the elevated plus maze and the black and white box, with the two lines differing significantly also in these two models of anxiety. These results suggest that behavioral measures from different tests of emotionality/anxiety are, at least in part, genetically related. They also indicate that this newly developed genetic model (herein named Floripa H and L rat lines) may be useful in the study of anxiety, as well as serving as a tool to test the existence/significance of the two aforementioned loci putatively associated with emotionality.

Rodents are known to display fear-related responses when exposed to the odor of natural predators, such as cats, even when they are totally naïve to these stimuli. Based on that, a behavioral test in which rats are exposed to cat odor has been developed and proposed to model some forms of anxiety. The objective of the present study was thus to compare the LEW (Lewis) and SHR (spontaneously hypertensive rats) inbred rat strains, which display genetic differences in other classical models of anxiety, in the cat odor test. As expected, cat odor produced an increase in fear-related behaviors. However, no clear differences were found between the two strains tested. These results suggest that the type of stress experienced by LEW and SHR strains exposed to cat odor is different from that elicited by exposure to classical models of anxiety such as the elevated plus-maze, black/white box and open-field tests.

The nutritional value of pumpkin seeds is widely recognized. This article shows that alkaline maceration of pumpkin seed makes them soft and improves their market acceptability as an important source of fiber, unsaturated lipids, minerals and proteins. Microscopic characterization of pumpkin seeds was realized. The results indicate elimination of minerals from the seeds through