title: Effects of single and combined gabapentin use in elevated plus maze and forced swimming tests.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gabapentin, a third-generation antiepileptic drug, is a structural analogue of γ-aminobutyric acid, which is an important mediator of central nervous system. There is clinical data indicating its effectiveness in the treatment of psychiatric illnesses such as bipolar disorder and anxiety disorders.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to investigate the antidepressant and anxiolytic-like effects and mechanisms of gabapentin in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Female Spraque-Dawley rats weighing 250±20 g were used. A total of 13 groups were formed, each containing 8 rats: gabapentin (5, 10, 20, 40 mg/kg), amitriptyline (10 mg/kg), sertraline (5 mg/kg), diazepam (5 mg/kg), ketamine (10 mg/kg), gabapentin 20 mg/kg was also combined with amitriptyline (10 mg/kg), sertraline (5 mg/kg), diazepam (5 mg/kg) and ketamine (10 mg/kg). All the drugs were used intraperitoneally as single dose. Saline was administered to the control group. Elevated plus maze and forced swimming tests were used as experimental models of anxiety and depression, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was observed that gabapentin showed an anxiolytic-like and antidepressant-like effect in all doses in rats. Its antidepressant effect was found to be the same as the antidepressant effects of amitriptyline and sertraline. There was no change in the antidepressant effect when gabapentin was combined with amitriptyline and ketamine, but there was an increase when combined with sertraline and diazepam. Gabapentin and amitriptyline showed similar anxiolytic effect, whereas ketamine and diazepam had more potent anxiolytic effect compared with them.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that gabapentin may possess antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like effects.
authors: 1Department of Pharmacology, Medical Faculty,Eskisehir Osmangazi University,Eskisehir,Turkey.
authors: Fatma Sultan
authors: FS
authors: Kilic
authors: 1Department of Pharmacology, Medical Faculty,Eskisehir Osmangazi University,Eskisehir,Turkey.
authors: Sule
authors: S
authors: Ismailoglu
authors: 1Department of Pharmacology, Medical Faculty,Eskisehir Osmangazi University,Eskisehir,Turkey.
authors: Bilgin
authors: B
authors: Kaygisiz
authors: 2Department of Biostatistics, Medical Faculty,Eskisehir Osmangazi University,Eskisehir,Turkey.
authors: Setenay
authors: S
authors: Oner
mesh_terms: D000588:Amines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000639:Amitriptyline / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003975:Diazepam / Q000494:pharmacology; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D000077206:Gabapentin; D007649:Ketamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020280:Sertraline / Q000494:pharmacology; D013550:Swimming; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000588:Amines; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; D000639:Amitriptyline; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D007649:Ketamine; D000077206:Gabapentin; D003975:Diazepam; D020280:Sertraline