The Peptide ACTH4–7-PGP Corrects Behavior and Corticosterone Levels in Rats in Chronic Stress

The peptide ACTH4–7-PGP has a wide spectrum of neuroprotective actions, including antioxidant and antidepressant effects in stress conditions. One important question is that of explaining the role of corticosterone in behavioral reactions on the background of repeated administration of ACTH4–7-PGP in chronic stress. The aim of the present work was to study the effects of ACTH4–7-PGP on behavioral reactions and corticosterone levels and their interaction in long-term stress in rats. ACTH4–7-PGP was given to male Wistar rats at doses of 5, 50, 150, and 450 μg/kg for 14 days 12–15 min before imposition of stress. The animals’ behavior was studied in the open field test and the elevated plus maze, and blood corticosterone concentrations were estimated by ELISA. In conditions of chronic stress, peptide was found to have an anxiolytic action and to decrease anxiety levels at doses of 50 and 150 μg/kg (p < 0.05–0.01). All ACTH4–7-PGP doses decreased serum corticosterone concentrations in stressed ats by 28.6–34.2% (p < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that the decrease in anxiety on administration of ACTH4–7-PGP at a dose of 50 μg/kg had a direct and strong link with the decrease in the corticosterone level. © 2022, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.