In vivo identification and characterization of binding sites for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in mouse brain

Corticosterone exposure augments sensitivity to the behavioral and neuroplastic effects of fluoxetine in C57BL/6 mice

Both genetic background and pre-existing stress play critical roles in the effects of antidepressant drugs. The current studies showed this principal by demonstrating that exposure to the stress hormone corticosterone (CORT) allowed behavioral and neurogenic effects to emerge following chronic treatment with fluoxetine of C57BL/6 mice, a strain ordinarily resistant to these effects. Adult male mice were implanted subcutaneously with 21-day slow-release CORT pellets (10 mg) or placebo and then co-treated with 5 mg/kg fluoxetine (b.i.d., i.p.) or saline for 14 days. Animals were then assessed for approach behavior in the novelty-induced hypophagia (NIH) test, hippocampal cell proliferation, corticosteroid receptor expression, and CORT plasma levels. Co-treatment of CORT with fluoxetine significantly reduced approach behavior in the novel environment of the NIH test and increased hippocampal cell proliferation whereas fluoxetine given alone was ineffective. CORT given alone did not alter approach behavior in the novel environment and caused a smaller increase of cell proliferation. The CORT effect was blocked by adrenalectomy and was likely due to increased adrenal feedback. Cell proliferation in CORT-treated animals was associated with reduced mineralocorticoid, but not glucocorticoid, receptor mRNA expression. Although the pellets were advertised to release CORT for 21 days, plasma CORT levels were increased at 1 day after implantation but were not sustained when measured at 7 days or longer intervals. Nevertheless, the transient CORT increase was sufficient to induce long-lasting behavioral and molecular changes when followed by fluoxetine treatment. These studies warrant further investigation into the role of glucocorticoids and environmental stress as adjunctive facilitators of the response to antidepressants, especially for treatment-resistant patients.

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C57BL/6J mice are not responsive to behavioral and neurogenic effects of chronic fluoxetine.

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CORT reduced anxiogenic behavior, increased hippocampal neurogenesis in response to fluoxetine.

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CORT pellets are not effective in sustaining elevated plasma CORT levels.

Effects of antidepressants on alternations in serum cytokines and depressive-like behavior in mice after lipopolysaccharide administration

Accumulating evidence suggests that inflammation may play a role in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). Antidepressants, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), possess anti-inflammatory effects in vitro. Here, we examined the effects of SSRIs and SNRIs on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation and depressive-like behavior in male mice. A single administration of LPS (0.5mg/kg, i.p.) increased serum levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) and the anti-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-10 (IL-10) in mice. Pretreatment with SSRIs (fluoxetine and paroxetine), SNRIs (venlafaxine and duloxetine), or 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), a precursor of serotonin, attenuated LPS-induced increases in TNFα, whereas it increased serum levels of IL-10, in mice treated with LPS. In the tail suspension test (TST), LPS increased the immobility time without affecting spontaneous locomotor activity, suggesting that LPS induced depressive-like behavior in mice. Treatment with fluoxetine (30 mg/kg) or paroxetine (10mg/kg) significantly shortened LPS-induced increases of immobility time. These results suggested that antidepressants exert anti-inflammatory effects in vivo, and that the serotonergic system may partially mediate these effects. In addition, the anti-inflammatory effects of antidepressants may help alleviate the symptoms of LPS-induced depression in mice.

In vivo characterization of muscarinic receptors in peripheral tissues: evaluation of bladder selectivity of anticholinergic agents to treat overactive bladder

The present study was undertaken to characterize in vivo muscarinic receptors in peripheral tissues (urinary bladder, submaxillary gland, colon, stomach, heart) of mice, and further to evaluate bladder-selectivity of anticholinergic agents to treat overactive bladder. Following i.v. injection of [3H]QNB in mice, the radioactivity in peripheral tissues was exclusively detected as the unchanged form. The in vivo specific [3H]QNB binding in particulate fraction of tissue homogenates of mice showed a pharmacological specificity which characterized muscarinic receptors. Binding parameters (Kd and Bmax) for in vivo specific [3H]QNB binding differed between mouse tissues. Oral administration of oxybutynin attenuated significantly in vivo specific [3H]QNB binding in all tissues of mice. From ratios of AUCurinary bladder/AUCother tissues of time-dependent muscarinic receptor occupancy, oral oxybutynin has been shown to exert little urinary bladder selectivity. Following oral administration of propiverine, there was a significant reduction of in vivo specific [3H]QNB binding in the urinary bladder, colon and submaxillary gland, but not in the stomach and heart. From the ratios of AUCurinary bladder to AUCsubmaxillary gland or AUCheart, it has been shown that oral propiverine exerts higher selectivity to muscarinic receptors in the urinary bladder than in the submaxillary gland and heart. Similarly, tolterodine displayed high selectivity to muscarinic receptors in the urinary bladder than in the submaxillary gland. Thus, the present study has demonstrated that [3H]QNB may be a useful ligand for in vivo characterization of muscarinic receptor binding of anticholinergic agents to treat overactive bladder. Propiverine and tolterodine have exhibited in vivo selectivity of muscarinic receptor in the mouse urinary bladder rather than in the submaxillary gland, and such receptor binding specificity may be the reason of lower incidence of dry mouth.

Serotonin transporter density and anxiolytic-like effects of antidepressants in mice

BACKGROUND

Chronic treatment with the dual serotonin/noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) duloxetine reduces the density of serotonin transporter sites in cortex and engenders an anxiolytic-like response. To determine the reproducibility of these effects and their generality to other antidepressants we compared the effects of chronic duloxetine treatment with another SNRI, venlafaxine, and two selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, paroxetine and fluoxetine.

METHODS

Separate groups of mice were administered vehicle, fluoxetine (15 mg/kg), paroxetine, duloxetine or venlafaxine (10 mg/kg) perorally twice daily for 28 days and tested in the mouse zero-maze and in motility cages on days 21 and 22, respectively, to determine effects on anxiety and motor activity. On day 28 brains were analysed for serotonin transporter (SERT) density in cortex and noradrenaline transporter (NET) density in cortex and hippocampus.

RESULTS

Duloxetine and fluoxetine both reduced SERT density in cortex and induced anxiolytic-like effects. Paroxetine had an identical profile, but it is unclear if this drug down-regulated the SERT since extensive washing of cortical tissue did not remove all drug. Venlafaxine had no effect on behavioural or biochemical parameters. Only duloxetine reduced NET density in cortex, although not hippocampus.

CONCLUSIONS

The reduction in SERT density and anxiolytic-like effects with duloxetine, fluoxetine and, potentially, paroxetine suggest that down-regulation of the SERT may be a relevant mechanism in therapeutic response to these antidepressants.

Effects of continuous administration of paroxetine on ligand binding site and expression of serotonin transporter protein in mouse brain

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as paroxetine, are utilized in the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders. Although SSRIs potently interfere with the activity of brain serotonin transporter (SERT) after acute treatment, clinical improvement of psychiatric diseases is observed only after the repeated administration for several weeks (2-6 weeks). The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of continuous administration of paroxetine on specific [3H]paroxetine binding sites and expression of SERT protein in mouse brain. Mice continuously and subcutaneously received paroxetine at doses of 2.67 or 13.3 mumol/kg/day for 21 days by using osmotic minipumps, and the steady-state plasma drug levels were within the range of reported concentrations in the clinical therapy. Continuous administration of paroxetine at theses doses produced significant (25-46%) reduction of [3H]paroxetine binding in each brain region (cerebral cortex, striatum, hippocampus, thalamus, midbrain) of mice. In Western blot analysis, expression levels of SERT protein in the thalamus and midbrain of mice were significantly (51% and 61%, respectively) decreased on day 21 after the implantation of minipumps at the higher dose. In conclusion, this study has firstly shown that continuous administration of paroxetine induces significant reduction of not only ligand binding sites of SERT but the protein expression level in mouse brain. Such down-regulation of SERT may partly underlie the therapeutic effect of long-term treatment with SSRIs in human.