title: Effect of co-administration of fluoxetine and amantadine on immunoendocrine parameters in rats subjected to a forced swimming test.
abstract: Considerable attention has been paid to a possible role of immunological dysregulation in the pathogenesis of depression. It has been reported that combined administration of antidepressant drugs and the non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist amantadine reduces immobility time in the forced swimming test (FST). Moreover, preliminary clinical data show that such a combination of drugs has a beneficial effect on treatment-resistant depressed patients. Since immune activation and a pro-inflammatory response are clearly evident in treatment-resistant depression, the aim of the present study was to examine the effect of a combination of the antidepressant fluoxetine and amantadine on immunoendocrine parameters in rats subjected to the forced swimming test. The obtained results revealed synergistic antidepressant effects of the combined administration of fluoxetine (10 mg/kg) and amantadine (10 mg/kg) - drugs otherwise ineffective when given separately in the above doses. Antidepressant activity was accompanied with a significant decrease in the capacity of splenocytes to proliferate in response to concanavalin A. Moerover, fluoxetine and the combination of amantadine and fluoxetine reduced relative spleen weight in rats subjected to the FST, compared to rats treated with the vehicle. The combination of amantadine and fluoxetine enhanced the production of the negative immunoregulator interleukin-10 (but not interferon-gamma) in rats subjected to the FST. The exposure to the FST produced an increase in plasma corticosterone levels, which was significantly attenuated by pretreatment with fluoxetine and amantadine. In summary, the antidepressive efficacy of a combination of fluoxetine and amantadine given in suboptimal doses may be related to the negative immunoendocrine effects of these drugs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smetna 12, PL 31-343 Kraków, Poland. rogoz@if-pan.krakow.pl
authors.forename: Zofia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Rogóz
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kubera
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rogóz
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Basta-Kaim
authors.forename: Bogusława
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Budziszewska
mesh_terms: D000547:Amantadine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001119:Arginase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004357:Drug Synergism; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D013550:Swimming
chemical_list: D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D005473:Fluoxetine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D000547:Amantadine; D001119:Arginase