The effect of oxcarbazepine on behavioural despair and learned helplessness.
The effect of oxcarbazepine was evaluated in two tests of depression (forced swimming and learned helplessness) and in the open-field test. Acute (three times over 24 h) oxcarbazepine 80 mg/kg (but not 40 mg/kg) decreased immobility time in the forced swimming test. In the learned helplessness test, 4 days of treatment with oxcarbazepine 80 mg/kg reversed the deficits induced by foot-shock in rats submitted to the two-way active avoidance test. Oxcarbazepine 80 mg/kg did not modify the behaviour of rats in the open-field test, an indication that, at this dose, oxcarbazepine did not show a locomotor stimulatory effect. Thus, the data of the present study suggest that oxcarbazepine has a potential antidepressive effect.
Beijamini
V
V
Laboratório de Fisiologia e Farmacologia do Sistema Nervoso Central, Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
Skalisz
L L
LL
Joca
S R
SR
Andreatini
R
R
D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006380:Helplessness, Learned; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D000078330:Oxcarbazepine; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D002220:Carbamazepine; D000078330:Oxcarbazepine