title: Rat behavior after chronic variable stress and partial lesioning of 5-HT-ergic neurotransmission: effects of citalopram.
abstract: Deficits in serotonergic (5-HT-ergic) neurotransmission and stressful life events have been implicated in affective disorders, and chronic variable stress (CVS) can elicit behavioral changes reminiscent of increased emotionality, anxiety and atypical depression after partial 5-HT depletion. This study examined the effect of chronic citalopram treatment (10 mg/kg daily) on these changes. Parachloroamphetamine (PCA) (2 mg/kg) reduced the levels of 5-HT and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in the frontal cortex, increased anxiety in the social interaction test, and increased activity in the open field. CVS reduced social activity in the social interaction test and immobility time in the forced swimming test. Reduction of excrements left during immobilization indicated partial adaptation with the CVS. Specific stressors had different effects on body weight gain, shorter lasting stressors having a smaller effect in general than those that lasted longer. Combination of CVS and PCA increased sucrose intake after two weeks of stress. In addition, combination of the two treatments reduced diving in the forced swimming test. Citalopram prevented the increase in sucrose consumption in the PCA+CVS rats, and in 5-HT-depleted animals blocked the increase in struggling and reduced the number of defecations in the forced swim test. In conclusion, citalopram treatment prevented several effects of either 5-HT depletion or combined PCA+CVS treatment, suggesting that these behavioral changes could be used in studies on the neural mechanisms underlying emotional behavior that may have relevance to the neurobiology of depression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Center of Behavioral and Health Sciences, University of Tartu, Tiigi 78, EE-50410 Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Margus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tõnissaar
authors.forename: Tanel
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mällo
authors.forename: Marika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eller
authors.forename: Riina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Häidkind
authors.forename: Kadri
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kõiv
authors.forename: Jaanus
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harro
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D015306:Biogenic Monoamines / Q000378:metabolism; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D015283:Citalopram / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000187:drug effects; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000187:drug effects / Q000293:injuries / Q000378:metabolism; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013395:Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013550:Swimming; D010133:p-Chloroamphetamine