POMC and Anxiety: Abnormal stress hormone corticosterone levels may be a potential explanation of anxiety,50 anhedonia and behavioral despair.51 Epac has been reported to couple adrenocorticotropic hormone-mediated cortisol secretion from the adrenal zona fasciculate.52 In the present study, no significant difference in serum corticosterone levels was observed among the three genotypes, either in the resting or stressed condition.