Fig. 4: Anxiolytic-like effect of oxytocin is reduced by norbinaltorphimine in male and female mice in the elevated zero maze.
From: µ-Opioid receptor antagonism facilitates the anxiolytic-like effect of oxytocin in mice
The male experimental groups were VEH + VEH (n = 7), norBNI-20 + VEH (n = 7), VEH + OXT (n = 9), norBNI-10 + OXT (n = 8) and norBNI-20 + OXT (n = 9), and the females experimental groups were VEH + VEH (n = 13), norBNI-30 + VEH (n = 9), VEH + OXT (n = 12), norBNI-10 + OXT (n = 14), norBNI-20 + OXT (n = 13), and norBNI-30 + OXT (n = 8). Oxytocin treatment (500 ng/mouse; intracerebroventricular infusion) increased open zone occupancy (A), entries (C, D), and total distance traveled (E, F) compared with vehicle (VEH; saline) in male and female vehicle-pretreated mice in the elevated zero maze. Data are presented as means ± standard errors of the means. Norbinaltorphimine pretreatment (10–30 mg/kg norBNI; intraperitoneal injection) blocked the effect of oxytocin on open zone occupancy (A), open zone entries (C, D), and total distance traveled (E, F), but norBNI alone did change either measure compared with vehicle pretreatment in vehicle-treated mice. Separate male and female data for open zone occupancy (B), entries (D), and total distance traveled (F) are also shown. αp < 0.05, difference from VEH + VEH; βp < 0.05, difference from VEH + OXT, via two-way ANOVAs.
