Effects of anxiogenic drugs in rat forced swimming test
Skrebuhhova, T.; Allikmets, L.; Matto, V.
Methods and Findings in Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology 21(3): 173-178
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 0379-0355 PMID: 10389119 Document Number: 506938
The effect of antidepressants and anxiogenics in the forced swimming (Porsolt') test was investigated in rats. On the second day of an experiment, desipramine (10 mg/kg), pentylenetetrazole (20 mg/kg), picrotoxin (2.5 mg/kg), and clonidine (1.0 mg/kg) shortened while buspirone (1.0 mg/kg), yohimbine (2.5 mg/kg), DMCM (1.0 mg/kg), and Ro-15-4513 (1.0 mg/kg) prolonged the time of immobility or behavioral despair; fluoxetine (10 and 20 mg/kg), citalopram (10 mg/kg), and flumazenil (10 mg/kg) were ineffective. While clonidine, given in a subeffective dose (0.1 mg/kg), augmented the effect of desipramine (10 mg/kg), buspirone (1.0 mg/kg) had an opposite effect. The picrotoxin (2.5 mg/kg) challenge prominently shortened the time of immobility after desipramine (10 mg/kg) or citalopram (10 mg/kg) treatment. In conclusion, our results indicate that pharmacologically enhanced anxiety interacts with the effects of acute drug treatment in the forced swimming test.