EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH CONCERNING THE EFFECT OF
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS ON ANXIETY IN MICE
ISABEL GHITA1, AURELIAN ZUGRAVU1*, CLAUDIA HANDRA2, ANA SEGARCEANU1, MIHAI NEGUTU1, ION FULGA1
1Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and
Pharmacy Bucharest, 8, Eroilor Sanitari Street, 050474, Bucharest, Romania
2Department of Occupational Medicine, Colentina Clinical Hospital, 19-21, Stefan cel Mare Street, 020125, Bucharest,
Romania
*corresponding author: aurelian.zugravu@yahoo.com
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Abstract:
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses in adults. Anxiety distorts perception, decreases the power of
concentration, affects thinking, learning, associative and evocation memory and is usually treated with benzodiazepines -
anxiolytic drugs - such as diazepam or oxazepam. Benzodiazepines are clinically used in racemic forms despite the fact that
the pharmacological activity of the two enantiomers is different, the activity being restricted only to the enantiomers with (S)
configuration. Oxazepam is also the ultimate pharmacologically active metabolite of many benzodiazepines derivatives, and
it is metabolized to the inactive glucuronide. Experimental researches show that aluminium inhibits the release of mediators
in the synaptosomal fractions with inhibitory effects being produced mainly by decreasing the activity of the Na+/K+-ATP-ase
and to a lesser extent through direct interaction with neurotransmitter transporters. Based on these data from the literature,
this study aimed to test the possible anxiolytic effect of 2 aluminium compounds (AlCl3 and Al2 (SO4)3) in mice after single
and chronic administration. For testing the anxiolytic effect the suspended cross maze test was applied after different time
intervals, after substances administration. The results showed that after 30 minutes both substances presented an anxiolytic
effect regardless the administered dose, as compared to the control. After 120 minutes, only the higher doses of aluminium
compounds maintained the anxiolytic effect. The anxiolytic effect was present also after chronic administration (14 days) for
the higher dose (1 mg/kg bw) of aluminium chloride and for the lower dose (0.1 mg/ kg bw) of aluminium sulphate. Taking
into account that both aluminium compounds had an anxiolytic effect, it can be concluded that this effect is mainly due to the
aluminium ion.

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