Captopril as an antidepressant? Effects on the learned helplessness paradigm in rats.
Several clinical investigations have suggested that captopril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI), currently used as an antihypertensive agent, exhibited anti-depressant properties in humans. The present experiment was evaluated for potential antidepressive activity of captopril on the learned helplessness paradigm in rats. Captopril (8, 16, 32 mg/kg/day, IP) induced a reversal of escape deficits but did not affect significantly the motor activity, suggesting that this effect was not due to motor stimulation. This antidepressant-like activity was comparable to that of imipramine (16, 32 mg/kg/day, IP). Naloxone (0.5; 1 mg/kg, IP) blocked the effect of captopril (16 mg/kg, IP) in this test. These results suggest that an opioid mediation could be responsible at least in part for its behavioral effect.
Département de Pharmacologie, Faculté de Médecine Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
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P
Martin
J
J
Massol
A J
AJ
Puech
D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D001143:Arousal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D002216:Captopril / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004924:Escape Reaction / Q000187:drug effects; D006380:Helplessness, Learned; D007099:Imipramine / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009270:Naloxone / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D009270:Naloxone; D002216:Captopril; D007099:Imipramine