study of the central injection effects of chrysin on behavioral and intra hypothalamic gene expression levels of crh and cgrp in male rats

Background: chrysin is a natural flavonoid with several demonstrated neuro-pharmacological effects in brain areas related to anxiety. however, the intra-hypothalamic molecular mechanisms underlying the anxiolytic effects of chrysin remain unclear. objectives: the current study revealed the effects of chrysin on hypothalamic corticotrophin-releasing hormone ( crh) and calcitonin gene-related peptide ( cgrp) gene expression levels in a rat model of stress. methods: thirty male wistar rats weighing 200 ± 10 g were divided into six groups for this investigation. acute restraint stress was induced in the animals for 2 hours. intact or stress-induced rats received 20 or 40 µg of chrysin via the third cerebral ventricle, respectively. open-field and forced swimming tests were performed to evaluate stress-related behaviors. hypothalamic samples were then removed, and real-time polymerase chain reaction (pcr) was used to measure relative gene expression. results: the results showed that in the rats receiving chrysin, crhand cgrpgene expression levels were significantly decreased compared to the stress group. additionally, chrysin injection reduced anxiogenic behaviors. conclusions: chrysin decreased the expression of hypothalamic crhand cgrpgenes in stressed rats.