Abstract
The cytokine erythropoietin (EPO) is an important regulator of hematopoesis and has well-known tissue protective properties. Neurotrophic action is implicated as mechanistically important in the treatment of depression, and neurotrophic actions of EPO suggest potential therapeutic utility of an EPO-like mechanism in depressive disorder. Rodent behavioral models that are responsive to clinically used antidepressants as well as to neurotrophic compounds can be used to assess potential antidepressant properties of EPO and EPO-like compounds. Rodent models described here are the forced-swim test (FST), a hyponeophagia test and the novel object recognition test. Each of these models provides different information and relevance to depression and each can be tested with EPO and similar compounds.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Masuda S et al (1993) Functional erythropoietin receptor of the cells with neural characteristics. Comparison with receptor properties of erythroid cells. J Biol Chem 268(15):11208–11216
Konishi Y et al (1993) Trophic effect of erythropoietin and other hematopoietic factors on central cholinergic neurons in vitro and in vivo. Brain Res 609(1–2):29–35
Morishita E et al (1997) Erythropoietin receptor is expressed in rat hippocampal and cerebral cortical neurons, and erythropoietin prevents in vitro glutamate-induced neuronal death. Neuroscience 76(1):105–116
Brines M et al (2000) Erythropoietin crosses the blood–brain barrier to protect against experimental brain injury. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 97(19):10526–10531
Brines M, Cerami A (2005) Emerging biological roles for erythropoietin in the nervous system. Nat Rev Neurosci 6(6):484–494
Leist M et al (2004) Derivatives of erythropoietin that are tissue protective but not erythropoietic. Science 305(5681):239–242
Brines M et al (2008) Nonerythropoietic, tissue-protective peptides derived from the tertiary structure of erythropoietin. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 105:10925–10930
Duman RS, Heninger GR, Nestler EJ (1997) A molecular and cellular theory of depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry 54(7):597–606
Girgenti MJ et al (2009) Erythropoietin induction by electroconvulsive seizure, gene regulation, and antidepressant-like behavioral effects. Biol Psychiatry 66(3):267–274
Miskowiak K et al (2008) Erythropoietin improves mood and modulates the cognitive and neural processing of emotion 3 days post administration. Neuropsychopharmacology 33(3):611–618
Porsolt RD, Bertin A, Jalfre M (1977) Behavioral despair in mice: a primary screening test for antidepressants. Arch Int Pharmacodyn Ther 229(2):327–336
Porsolt RD, Le Pichon M, Jalfre M (1977) Depression: a new animal model sensitive to antidepressant treatments. Nature 266(5604):730–732
Porsolt RD, Bertin A, Jalfre M (1978) “Behavioural despair” in rats and mice: strain differences and the effects of imipramine. Eur J Pharmacol 51(3):291–294
Borsini F, Meli A (1988) Is the forced swimming test a suitable model for revealing antidepressant activity? Psychopharmacology (Berl) 94:147–160
Shirayama Y et al (2002) Brain-derived neurotrophic factor produces antidepressant effects in behavioral models of depression. J Neurosci 22(8):3251–3261
Duman CH et al (2009) Peripheral insulin-like growth factor-I produces antidepressant-like behavior and contributes to the effect of exercise. Behav Brain Res 198(2):366–371
Detke MJ, Rickels M, Lucki I (1995) Active behaviors in the rat forced swimming test differentially produced by serotonergic and noradrenergic antidepressants. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 121(1):66–72
Lucki I (1997) The forced swimming test as a model for core and component behavioral effects of antidepressant drugs. Behav Pharmacol 8:523–532
Willner P (1990) Animal models of depression: an overview. Pharmacol Ther 45:425–455
Thiébot M-H, Martin P, Puech AJ (1992) Animal behavioural studies in the evaluation of antidepressant drugs. Br J Psychiatry 160:44–50
Bodnoff SR et al (1988) The effects of chronic antidepressant treatment in an animal model of anxiety. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 95(3):298–302
Bodnoff SR et al (1989) A comparison of the effects of diazepam versus several typical and atypical anti-depressant drugs in an animal model of anxiety. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 97(2):277–279
Dulawa SC, Hen R (2005) Effects of chronic fluoxetine in animal models of anxiety and depression. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 29(4–5):771–783
Kaufman J, Charney D (2000) Comorbidity of mood and anxiety disorders. Depress Anxiety 12(Suppl 1):69–76
Ressler KJ, Nemeroff CB (2000) Role of serotonergic and noradrenergic systems in the pathophysiology of depression and anxiety disorders. Depress Anxiety 12(Suppl 1):2–19
Serretti A et al (2009) Common genetic, clinical, demographic and psychosocial predictors of response to pharmacotherapy in mood and anxiety disorders. Int Clin Psychopharmacol 24(1):1–18
Ennaceur A, Delacour J (1988) A new one-trial test for neurobiological studies of memory in rats. 1: Behavioral data. Behav Brain Res 31(1):47–59
Miskowiak K et al (2008) Differential effects of erythropoietin on neural and cognitive measures of executive function 3 and 7 days post-administration. Exp Brain Res 184(3):313–321
Ehrenreich H et al (2004) Erythropoietin: a candidate compound for neuroprotection in schizophrenia. Mol Psychiatry 9(1):42–54
Morgensen J et al (2008) Erythropoietin improves spatial delayed alternation in a T-maze in rats subjected to ablation of the prefrontal cortex. Brain Res Bull 77(1):1–7
Mun KC, Golper TA (2000) Impaired biological activity of erythropoietin by cyanate carbamylation. Blood Purif 18:13–17
Acknowledgments
We thank Dr. Shannon Gourley and Monica Sathyanesan for their assistance in conducting the novel object recognition test. This work is supported by USHPS grant MH 078132 and the Connecticut Mental Health Center.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this protocol
Cite this protocol
Duman, C.H., Newton, S.S. (2013). Evaluating Effects of EPO in Rodent Behavioral Assays Related to Depression. In: Ghezzi, P., Cerami, A. (eds) Tissue-Protective Cytokines. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 982. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-308-4_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-308-4_8
Published:
Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ
Print ISBN: 978-1-62703-307-7
Online ISBN: 978-1-62703-308-4
eBook Packages: Springer Protocols