ABSTRACT-The effect of fluvoxamine, a selective serotonin (5-HT) reuptake inhibitor, was studied in a model of anxiety and/or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in mice. In the anxiety/OCD model, marbleburying behavior, marble-burying was significantly suppressed by fluvoxamine at 30 and 60 mg/kg, p.o. and the monoamine reuptake inhibitor clomipramine, at 60 mg/kg, p.o. No suppressive effect, however, was observed by the selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor desipramine at doses from 15 to 60 mg/kg, p.o. Suppressive effects were obtained by the serotonergic anxiolytic buspirone at 30 and 60 mg/kg, p.o. and the benzodiazepine anxiolytic diazepam at 10 mg/kg, p.o. The effect of fluvoxamine on marble-burying was slightly attenuated after repeated administration. On the other hand, both the effects of buspirone and diazepam completely disappeared after repeated administration. Effect of fluvoxamine on the marble-burying was unaffected by the 5-HT2 antagonist ritanserin. However, the 5-HT1A antagonist piperazine) inhibited the suppressive effect of fluvoxamine on the marble-burying. From these results, the 5-HTIA-receptor subtype may be involved in the suppressive effect of fluvoxamine on the marble-burying, but the 5-HT2-receptor subtype is not involved in this effect.
ABSTRACT-The effect of fluvoxamine, a selective serotonin (5-HT) reuptake inhibitor, was studied in the forced-swimming test, a model of depression, in mice. Fluvoxamine at 60 mg/kg, p.o. significantly decreased the immobility time in the forced-swimming test. A similar effect was observed by the selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor desipramine at the same dose. Furthermore, the suppression of immobility time was slightly potentiated by repeated administration of fluvoxamine, and a significant effect was observed at 30 mg/kg, p.o. The effect of fluvoxamine on forced-swimming was unaffected by the 5-HT2 antagonist ritanserin. On the other hand, the 5-HT1A antagonist Selective serotonin (5-HT) reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs; fluvoxamine, fluoxetine, etc.) have established their status as effective antidepressants with effects comparable to the more traditionally used tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants (1). Furthermore, it is recognized that the binding sites for the antidepressant imipramine are the 5-HTreuptake pumps (2) and that 5-HT2 receptors are also down-regulated by the repeated administration of antidepressants (3). These lines of evidence support the 5-HT theory of depressive illness, and it is apparent, therefore, that malfunction of 5-HT transmission is involved in depressive illness.The forced-swimming test has been used elsewhere to evaluate the efficacy of antidepressants (4). There is, however, few reports about the effect of fluvoxamine on the forced-swimming test (5). Furthermore, there is no report about the subchronic effect of fluvoxamine on this model or which 5-HT receptor subtype mediates the effect of fluvoxamine on immobility.In the present experiments, therefore, we investigated Male ICR strain mice weighing 20-30 g (Nihon SLC, Atsugi) were used in the experiment. All animals were housed in the animal rooms (temperature, 20-25C; °hu-midity, 60 ±5%; light on at 7 a.m.; light off at 7 p.m.) for
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.