Publication details
Tiagabine treatment is associated with neurochemical, immune and behavioural alterations in the olfactory bulbectomized rat model of depression
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2007 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Pharmacopsychiatry |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Pharmacology and pharmaceutical chemistry |
| Keywords | tiagabine; olfactory bulbectomy; rat; immunity; behaviour; endocrine |
| Description | The purpose of the study was to test a potential antidepressant effect of the 3rd generation antiepileptic tiagabine in rats chronically stressed by anosmia due to bilateral olfactory bulbectomy (OB), which is a well-established animal model of human depression resembling behavioural, immune and endocrine changes (Leonard and Tuite, 1981). OB rats show significant increase in locomotor/exploratory activities in the open-field test, and altered plasma stress hormone levels and suppressed phagocytosis of leukocytes what we have examined in the present experiments. After repeated tiagabine (12 mg/kg/day, IP) administration we measured the locomotor activity in the open-field test, adrenalin, noradrenaline, dopamine and corticosterone plasma levels and the leukocyte phagocytic function. Also the differential white blood cell counts were measured. Repeated tiagabine treatment elicited a significant decrease of the locomotor hyperactivity in the open field test. Taking into account that clinically approved antidepressants reverse OB related behavioural and immune disorders (Leonard and Tuite, 1981) the results indicate the hypothesized antidepressant activity of tiagabine. The OB-induced changes in leukocyte differential counts were not found in the tiagabine-treated group. The OB-induced reduction in plasma noradrenaline levels was normalised following tiagabine treatment. |
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