Target brain sites of the anxiolytic effect of citalopram, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor.
The purpose of the present study was to elucidate the brain regions in which citalopram, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), exerts its anxiolytic effects in conditioned fear stress (CFS) in rats, an animal model of anxiety. The effect of citalopram on CFS-induced c-Fos expression was investigated using immunohistochemistry. Systemic administration of citalopram attenuated contextual CFS-induced c-Fos expression in the secondary motor cortex, primary somatosensory cortex, and basolateral nucleus of the amygdala. Among these regions the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala is a likely candidate region in which citalopram exerts its anxiolytic effect.
Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan. psyizumi@med.hokudai.ac.jp
Takeshi
T
Izumi
Takeshi
T
Inoue
Yuji
Y
Kitaichi
Shin
S
Nakagawa
Tsukasa
T
Koyama
D000679:Amygdala / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D015283:Citalopram / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005239:Fear; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D015283:Citalopram; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors