Neonatal treatment with clomipramine increased immobility in the forced swim test: an attribute of animal models of depression.
The forced swimming test in rats has been identified as a suitable model for detecting antidepressant activity of several drugs regardless of their mode of action. On the other hand, a number of animal models of human endogenous depression have been proposed. Recently, it has been reported that perinatal administration of clomipramine in rats elicits behavioral changes in adulthood that resemble human endogenous depression. In the present study, we showed that in this new animal model of depression immobility was increased when animals were submitted to the forced swimming test. This finding supports the notion that the amount of immobility during the forced swimming test is directly proportional to a depressive state in the rat.
Velazquez-Moctezuma
J
J
Departamento Biologia de la Reproduccion, Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Mexico City, Mexico.
Diaz Ruiz
O
O
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D002997:Clomipramine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003672:Defecation / Q000187:drug effects; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013550:Swimming
D002997:Clomipramine