title: Interactions of atenolol with alprazolam/escitalopram on anxiety, depression and oxidative stress.
abstract: Anxiety and depression are highly comorbid disorders possibly sharing a common neurobiological mechanism. The dysfunction of serotoninergic, noradrenergic and dopaminergic neurotransmission, abnormal regulation in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA), disturbance of cellular plasticity including reduced neurogenesis, or chronic inflammation connected with high oxidative damage play a crucial role in the development of anxiety and depression. The present study was aimed to investigate the effects of atenolol alone and in combination with alprazolam/escitalopram on anxiety, depression and oxidative stress. Wistar albino rats were subjected to 21 day treatment of drugs then exposed to elevated-plus maze (EPM) and modified forced swim test (MFST), and oxidative stress markers were estimated in isolated brain tissue of all groups. The results indicated that atenolol in combination with alprazolam/escitalopram exhibited antidepressant effects by significantly decreasing the immobility and increasing the swimming behavior in the MFST and anti-anxiety effects by increasing the percentage preference and number of open arm entries as well as time spent in open arm in EPM. Pretreatment with atenolol alone and combination with alprazolam/escitalopram also ameliorated tissue glutathione (GSH) and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) level significantly which explore antioxidant properties of drugs, and combination augments the therapeutic response of monotherapy in depression. In conclusion behavioral and biological findings indicate that the combination of atenolol with alprazolam/escitalopram has the potential of being highly efficacious in treating anxiety and depressive disorders as well as oxidative stress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Medicine, Umm Al Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia; Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India. Electronic address: shahzad.naiyer@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Naiyer
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shahzad
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Javed
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.affiliation: Basic Sciences Department, College of Science and Health Professions, King Saud Bin Abdul Aziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh 11426, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Wajahatullah
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Medicine, Umm Al Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Saeed S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Al-Ghamdi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: M Ruhal
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Ain
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Medicine, Umm Al Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Ibrahim Abdel Aziz
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Mohd
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akhtar
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India; Department of Pharmacology, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, UAE.
authors.forename: Razia
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Khanam
mesh_terms: D000525:Alprazolam / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001262:Atenolol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D015283:Citalopram / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005260:Female; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D015283:Citalopram; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D001262:Atenolol; D005978:Glutathione; D000525:Alprazolam
keywords: Anxiety; Depression; Elevated-plus maze; Malondialdehyde; Modified forced swim test; Oxidative stress