title: Antidepressant & anxiolytic activities of N-(pyridin-3-yl) quinoxalin-2-carboxamide: A novel serotonin type 3 receptor antagonist in behavioural animal models.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Alteration in the serotonin leads to the psychological illness, such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorders and migraines. The objective of the current study was to investigate the antidepressant and anxiolytic activities of N-(pyridin-3-yl) quinoxalin-2-carboxamide (QCF-21), a novel 5-HT3receptor antagonist in preclinical models of depression and anxiety.
  
  
  METHODS
  Antidepressant activity was evaluated in preliminary tests such as forced swim and tail suspension tests (FST & TST). Anti-anxiety effect of QCF-21 was investigated by employing elevated plus maze (EPM), light/dark and hole board tests. Olfactory bulbectomy (OBX) in rats was used as chronic model of depression. Mechanistic test of QCF-21 was evaluated by reserpine-induced hypothermia and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP)-induced head-twitch response.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The dose-response study revealed an initial antidepressant-like effect of QCF-21(0.25-1 mg/kg, i.p.) in the FST and TST and anxiolytic-like effect in EPM, light and dark and hole board tests. QCF-21 potentiated the 5-HTP-induced head-twitches response in mice and reversed reserpine-induced hypothermia in rats. QCF-21 significantly reversed the behavioural anomalies post-OBX in rats.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present findings indicate the potential antidepressant-like and anxiolytic-like effects of QCF-21 at low doses in rodent behavioural models of depression and anxiety. Further studies need to be done to understand the underlying mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacology Department, Novel Drug Discovery and Development (NDDD), Lupin Research Park, Pune, India.
authors.forename: Dilip Kumar
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Pandey
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, KVSR Siddhartha College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vijayawada, India.
authors.forename: Thangraj
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Devadoss
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani, India.
authors.forename: Neha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Modak
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani, India.
authors.forename: Radhakrishnan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mahesh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy; D011810:Quinoxalines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D058831:Serotonin 5-HT3 Receptor Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D011810:Quinoxalines; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D058831:Serotonin 5-HT3 Receptor Antagonists; C000599034:quinoxaline-2-carboxamide; D012701:Serotonin