title: Effect of subchronic antidepressant treatments on behavioral, neurochemical, and endocrine changes in the forced-swim test.
abstract: The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of subchronic treatment (24 days) with antidepressants displaying differential effects on noradrenaline and serotonin reuptake, on behavior, neurochemistry, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity following FST exposure in the rat. Desipramine (7.5 mg/kg, IP) significantly decreased immobility in the FST, whilst paroxetine (7.5 mg/kg IP) and venlafaxine (10 mg/kg, IP) were without effect. Nonetheless, treatment with all three antidepressants significantly attenuated stress-related increases in amygdaloid and cortical serotonin turnover. Of the three antidepressants examined, only desipramine attenuated the stress-associated elevation in serum corticosterone. In conclusion, although FST-induced increases in serotonin turnover in the frontal cortex and amygdala were attenuated following treatment with all three antidepressants, FST-induced behavioral changes and increased HPA axis activity were normalized only following desipramine treatment. In addition, these results suggest that neurochemical mechanisms independent of increased serotonergic activity subserve the normalization of behavior and HPA axis responses in the FST. These data also add to our understanding of the interactions between antidepressants and stress-induced behavioral, neurochemical, and endocrine alterations, and illustrates important differences between classes of antidepressants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Connor
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kelliher
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Harkin
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Leonard
mesh_terms: D000679:Amygdala / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000494:pharmacology; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000494:pharmacology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001679:Biogenic Amines / Q000378:metabolism; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D003511:Cyclohexanols / Q000494:pharmacology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D003891:Desipramine / Q000494:pharmacology; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D017374:Paroxetine / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D013550:Swimming / Q000523:psychology*; D000069470:Venlafaxine Hydrochloride
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D001679:Biogenic Amines; D003511:Cyclohexanols; D006728:Hormones; D012701:Serotonin; D017374:Paroxetine; D000069470:Venlafaxine Hydrochloride; D003891:Desipramine; D003345:Corticosterone