IOWA CITY, Iowa, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- A U.S. study shows inhibiting an acid sensing ion channel protein can reduce fearful behavior, making normally timid lab mice relatively fearless.
University of Iowa scientists said their finding provides useful insight into anxiety disorders and might even point the way to a new therapeutic target.
The researchers, led by Assistant Professor John Wemmie, found disrupting the ASIC1a protein alters innate fear reactions in mice and suggests the protein might be a critical component of the brain systems that underlie innate fear.
The research demonstrated mice lacking the protein were significantly less fearful of open spaces, loud noises and predator odor than were normal mice.
"Showing that pharmacologically blocking the channel reduces innate fear behavior, in theory, sets the stage for investigating whether therapies that block these ion channels in humans might be effective in anxiety disorders," said Wemmie.
The team plans to determine the specific sites of action of ASIC1a in the brain, and focus on understanding the role of the ion channel in the amygdala. They also are interested in whether the protein is involved in other types of psychiatric illness.
The research appears in the journal Biological Psychiatry.
