Journal of Advances in Biology & Biotechnology

Salt consumption above dietary guidelines is detrimental to health, it causes impaired cognitive, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative functions. This study aimed at evaluating anxiety and locomotor behaviour in high salt-fed mice treated with L-arginine and losartan. Forty (40) mice weighing between 27-37g were categorized into four (4) parts of ten (10) members. Group I (Control) was served ordinary mice chow and water, group II was given 8% sodium chloride in chow and 1% NaCl in drinkable water (High Salt Diet), group III was given same diet as group II in addition to L-arginine on the 43^rd day, group IV was given same as group II in addition to Losartan on the 43^rd day. L-arginine and losartan administration lasted for 14 days. The total duration for drug administration and feeding lasted for one month and three weeks. Light-Dark Transition Box (LDTB) and Elevated+ Maze (EPM) were used to assess anxiety and locomotor behaviour. The results showed a significant (p<0.001) decrease in line crossing, transition frequency, and light box duration, with a corresponding significant (p<0.001) increase in stretch attend posture, grooming frequency duration, close arm entry, dark box duration frequency in the high salt fed group compared with the control. Both L-arginine and Losartan significantly (p<0.001) reversed these changes towards normal. Thus, a high salt diet is implicated in increased anxiety, whereas L-arginine, a nitric oxide precursor, and losartan, an ACE blocker reduced anxiety which in turn improves locomotor behaviour in the mice.