Midazolam Ameliorates the Behavioral Deficits of a Rat Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Model Through Dual 18 kDa Translocator Protein and Central Benzodiazepine Receptor and Neurosteroidogenesis

The study investigated the effects of midazolam on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) behavior in rats using the single prolonged stress (SPS) model. Midazolam, acting as a ligand for both the 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO) and central benzodiazepine receptor (CBR), was found to significantly reverse PTSD-associated freezing and anxiety-like behavior at doses of 0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg, similar to the effects of Sertraline. The anti-PTSD effects of midazolam were negated by antagonists of TSPO, CBR, and steroidogenic enzymes, indicating that its efficacy was mediated through these pathways. This study demonstrated that midazolam ameliorated behavioral deficits in the SPS model through dual TSPO and CBR action and neurosteroidogenesis.