title: Chronic venlafaxine treatment fails to alter the levels of galanin system transcripts in normal rats.
abstract: It is widely accepted that efficacy and speed of current antidepressants' therapeutic effect are far from optimal. Thus, there is a need for the development of antidepressants with new mechanisms of action. The neuropeptide galanin and its receptors (GalR1, GalR2 and GalR3) are among the promising targets. However, it is not clear whether or not the galanin system is involved in the antidepressant effect exerted by the currently much used inhibitors of the reuptake of serotonin and/or noradrenaline. To answer this question we administered the selective serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) venlafaxine (40mg/kg/day via osmotic minipumps) to normal rats and examined the levels of the transcripts for galanin and GalR1-3 after a 3-week venlafaxine treatment in the dorsal raphe, hippocampus and frontal cortex. These areas are known to be involved in the effects of antidepressants and in depression itself. Venlafaxine failed to alter the expression of any of the galanin system genes in these areas. Our results show that one of the most efficient, currently used SNRIs does not alter transcript levels of galanin or its three receptors in normal rats. These findings suggest that the pro- and antidepressive-like effects of galanin reported in animal experiments may employ a novel mechanism(s).
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, H-1089, Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, Hungary; MTA-SE Neuropsychopharmacology & Neurochemistry Research Group, H-1089, Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Petschner
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, H-1089, Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, Hungary; MTA-SE Neuropsychopharmacology & Neurochemistry Research Group, H-1089, Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, Hungary; MTA-SE-NAP B Genetic Brain Imaging Migraine Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Semmelweis University, Hungary.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Juhasz
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics-, Cell and Immunobiology, Semmelweis University, H-1089, Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Viola
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tamasi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, H-1089, Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, Hungary; Retzius Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Retzius väg 8, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Csaba
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Adori
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, H-1089, Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Laszlo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tothfalusi
authors.affiliation: Retzius Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Retzius väg 8, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Tomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hökfelt
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, H-1089, Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, Hungary; MTA-SE Neuropsychopharmacology & Neurochemistry Research Group, H-1089, Nagyvarad ter 4., Budapest, Hungary. Electronic address: bag13638@iif.hu.
authors.forename: Gyorgy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bagdy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D065847:Dorsal Raphe Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D019004:Galanin / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D044088:Receptors, Galanin / Q000235:genetics*; D000068760:Serotonin and Noradrenaline Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000069470:Venlafaxine Hydrochloride / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D044088:Receptors, Galanin; D000068760:Serotonin and Noradrenaline Reuptake Inhibitors; D000069470:Venlafaxine Hydrochloride; D019004:Galanin
keywords: Depression; Dorsal raphe; Frontal cortex; Hippocampus; Locus coeruleus; Transcripts; qPCR