Semax Effectively Reduces Stress-Induced Anxiety and Depression in Rats

Anxiety and depression are widespread mental health disorders with significant impact on quality of life. Current treatments often have side effects or limited efficacy, highlighting the need for novel therapeutic approaches. This study investigated whether Semax, an analog of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH(4-10)), could modulate emotional states, particularly in response to chemically induced stress, to explore its potential as an anxiolytic and antidepressant.

In normal, unstressed rats, Semax administration alone did not significantly influence the animals' emotional state. However, the CCK-4 injection successfully led to a clear increase in both anxiety and depression in the control rat group. Semax administration at both 0.05 mg/kg and 0.5 mg/kg intranasally effectively normalized the animal behavior disturbed by CCK-4, demonstrating significant anxiolytic and antidepressant effects. Specifically, treated rats showed a reversal of the CCK-4-induced anxious and depressive behaviors, performing similarly to normal, unstressed animals in the elevated plus-maze and forced swimming tests. This indicates a robust counteraction of the stress-induced emotional disturbances by Semax across the tested doses.