Chronic administration of tyrosine improves behavioral deficits and enhances blood glucose levels in clinically healthy rats following immobilized stress

Abstract

Tyrosine, a metabolite for the synthesis of several depression and anxiety-affecting neurotransmitters helps to alleviate physical performance decrements in rats under conditions of high psychological stress. There has been a correlation between depression with the perturbation of cerebral levels of neurotransmitters. The study was designed to find out that tyrosine supplementation mitigates stress-induced decrements in behavioral activities in healthy rats under immobilized stress. 18 rats were taken and divided into three groups control, stress, and stress + tyrosine. Immobilized stress was given to the animals by the restrainer. Anxiety functions and depression-like symptoms were monitored by elevated plus maze and force swimming test respectively. The biochemical assessment was done by estimating plasma glucose levels. Administration of tyrosine produced anxiolytic effects and decreased depression-like symptoms that can attribute to increased brain norepinephrine concentrations. Blood glucose levels were also significantly increased in both test groups following tyrosine administration. It is concluded that tyrosine in immobilized stressed rats significantly improved behavioral deficits by increasing glucose levels in the blood.