Anti-immobility activity of different antidepressant drugs using the tail suspension test in normal or reserpinized mice

Fundam Clin Pharmacol. 1993;7(5):219-26. doi: 10.1111/j.1472-8206.1993.tb00235.x.

Abstract

The tail suspension test is a screening procedure recently used in mice to detect antidepressant activity of drugs. The ability of amine re-uptake inhibitors to decrease immobility in non-reserpinized and in reserpinized mice was studied. Reserpine (4 mg/kg ip) was injected 4 h previously. Anti-depressants were administered ip, 60 min before tail suspension. Animal activity was recorded for 6 min. Preferential serotonin re-uptake blockers (fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, clomipramine) were poorly active in non-reserpinized mice and inactive in reserpine-treated mice. Noradrenergic drugs (desipramine, demexiptiline, viloxazine) were more efficient in reserpinized than in non-reserpinized mice. The mixed serotonin-noradrenaline re-uptake inhibitor (imipramine) shows an activity which should be considered between serotonin re-uptake inhibitors and noradrenaline re-uptake inhibitors. DA re-uptake inhibitors (amineptine, GBR 12909) exhibited the highest anti-immobility effect in non reserpinized animals but were of low efficacy after reserpine treatment. Amphetamine differed from dopamine re-uptake inhibitors by its better activity in reserpinized animals. Moreover, it was the only drug showing an equal anti-immobility effect in non reserpinized and reserpinized mice because the dose of 8 mg/kg of amphetamine reduced immobility in reserpinized mice with the same intensity as the dose of 4 mg/kg in non reserpinized mice whereas no other drugs tested in this study achieved the same effect. Comparison of anti-immobility activities of putative anti-depressants in non-pre-treated and in reserpine-pre-treated mice, using the tail suspension test, may be useful to discriminate amphetamines from antidepressant drugs and to differentiate between categories of amine re-uptake blockers.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Amphetamine / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Antidepressive Agents / pharmacology*
  • Behavior, Animal / drug effects
  • Dibenzocycloheptenes / pharmacology
  • Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / methods
  • Immobilization / physiology*
  • Immunoblotting
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred Strains
  • Neurotransmitter Uptake Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Piperazines / pharmacology
  • Reserpine / pharmacology*
  • Restraint, Physical

Substances

  • Antidepressive Agents
  • Dibenzocycloheptenes
  • Neurotransmitter Uptake Inhibitors
  • Piperazines
  • amineptin
  • Reserpine
  • vanoxerine
  • Amphetamine