Stress-protective effect of human lactoferrin on the model of experimental chronic stress in rats

BACKGROUND. It is known that severe stressful influences cause dysfunctions of the immune, neuroendocrine, cardiovascular and other systems, and can cause various neurochemical and behavioral changes. It has been shown that stressful life events play a role in the etiology of depression and anxiety. The search for ways to correct such disorders is an urgent task of fundamental and clinical medicine. This work is focused on the study of stress-protective properties of molecular factors of innate immunity, namely, the iron-binding protein lactoferrin (LF).AIM: To evaluate the anti-stress effect of human LF on behavioral disorders in laboratory animals (rats) caused by chronic stress.MATERIALS AND METHODS. To implement the stress effect, a chronic stress model in rats was used, including daily forced swimming of laboratory animals in cold water. The motor activity of animals and their emotional and exploratory behavior were assessed.RESULTS. It was shown that this stress effect does not change the motor activity of rats, but increases the level of anxiety and reduces exploratory activity, which can be characterized as a depressive-like state. Daily oral administration of human LF to animals at a dose of 200 μg/kg body weight reduces anxiety and restores exploratory activity.CONCLUSION. The results indicate that rats exposed to chronic stress develop a depressive-like state, which can be compensated by oral administration of small doses of human LF. Thus, it can be said that LF is not only an endogenous antimicrobial and chelating compound. In addition to anti-infective protection, LF is involved in a wider range of defense mechanisms in which it can function as an endogenous antidepressant.