Antidepressant-like effects of a novel pentapeptide, nemifitide, in an animal model of depression.
BACKGROUND
Nemifitide is a novel peptide analog of melanocyte-inhibiting factor (MIF) that has been reported to relieve depressive symptoms in a very short period.


OBJECTIVE
The Flinders Sensitive Line (FSL) rat, a genetic animal model of depression with innate exaggerated immobility in the forced swim test, was used to obtain more detailed information about the antidepressant-like effects of nemifitide.


METHODS
The FSL rats were treated chronically with various doses of nemifitide or reference antidepressants desipramine and fluoxetine for 5 or 14 days and the forced swim test was conducted 22-24 h after the last treatment.


RESULTS
Nemifitide significantly increased swimming in the FSL rats at both low (0.025-0.3 mg/kg) and high (3.0-15.0 mg/kg) doses but not at intermediate (0.4-2.4 mg/kg) doses. Nemifitide (0.3 mg/kg) and desipramine (5.0 mg/ kg) significantly increased swimming in the FSL rats after just 5 days of treatment, but fluoxetine (5.0 mg/kg) did not. Nemifitide (0.3 mg/kg) and fluoxetine (5.0 mg/kg) had long-lasting effects, but desipramine (5.0 mg/kg) did not.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings support the value of developing nemifitide and its analogs as potential antidepressants.
Department of Psychiatry, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7178, USA. dhover@med.unc.edu
David H
DH
Overstreet
Joseph
J
Hlavka
John P
JP
Feighner
Gabriela
G
Nicolau
Jeffrey S
JS
Freed
D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D003891:Desipramine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D013045:Species Specificity
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D009842:Oligopeptides; D005473:Fluoxetine; C406668:nemifitide ditriflutate; D003891:Desipramine