Dependence of Anxiolytic Effects of the Dipeptide TSPO Ligand GD-23 on Neurosteroid Biosynthesis

The study demonstrated that the dipeptide TSPO ligand GD-23 exhibited anxiolytic effects in the elevated plus maze test when administered intraperitoneally at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg. This anxiolytic effect was entirely inhibited by the neurosteroid synthesis inhibitors trilostane and finasteride, suggesting that GD-23's mechanism of action was dependent on neurosteroid biosynthesis. In contrast, these inhibitors did not affect the anxiolytic effects of diazepam, a benzodiazepine tranquilizer, highlighting the selective neurosteroidogenic mechanism of GD-23's anxiolytic action.