Limiting effect of diazepam on Lewis lung carcinoma metastasis in anxious male mice

Abstract

AbstractAim: It has been shown previously that chronic social defeat stress produces development of strong anxiety and increases intensity of experimental metastasis in the losers in comparison with the control mice. The question was: is it possible to decrease the number of metastases in the losers by chronic or acute diazepam treatment. Materials and Methods. Sensory contact model was used for generating male mice with repeated experience of social defeats or victories in daily agonistic interactions. Lewis Lung Carcinoma cells (LLC) were injected into the tail vein of animals after 10 days of agonistic interactions. Then mice were treated acutely or chronically (7 days) with diazepam (1 mg/kg, i.p). Number of metastases in the lung was calculated in 16 days after tumor cell transplantation. Results. Chronic diazepam treatment produced decrease of number of LLC metastases in anxious losers, whereas in the winners and control mice diazepam was ineffective. Conclusion: Diazepam may decrease intensity of metastasis in anxious mice.