Introduction: Anxiety is a neuropsychological problem that needs research and is the most common psychiatric disorder in patients with epilepsy. Orexin is a brain peptide that produced by postero-lateral hypothalamus and its orexinergic neurons project to various areas including hippocampus and brain stem. ICV infusion of Orexins (A and B) effect on sleep and nutritional behaviors .Stimulating orexin receptors caused post-synaptic stimulation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of ox1 antagonist on anxiety behaviors of PTZ induced kindled rats. Methods: 14 male wistar rats divided in two groups and stereotaxicaly was inserted injecting cannula into the brain left ventricle. Control group (n=7) received vehicle (2 μl/rat) using peristaltic pump and the experimental group (N=7) received (ICV) ox1 antagonist (5μg/rat). Results: The results indicated that the duration and number of time that the experimental group spent in the open arms is significantly more than the control group. These results indicated the decrease of anxiety behaviors in the experimental group. Conclusion: Considering the role of orexin in sleep and feeding behaviors and relationship between neurochemical and anatomical mechanisms and also interconnections of hypothalamus with monoaminergic and cholinergic nuclei in the brain stem and role of kindling in the development of anxiety, our results confirm involving of orexinergic system in anxiety.

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