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Purine nucleoside — mediated immobility in mice: Reversal by antidepressants

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Abstract

In the forced swimming-induced immobility (despair) test model, adenosine, and 2-chloroadenosine treatment prolonged the immobilization period in mice. Dipyridamole, which is known to inhibit adenosine uptake, potentiated the adenosine effect. The purinoceptor antagonists caffeine and theophylline blocked purine nucleoside-induced enhancement of immobilization. Tricyclic antidepressants such as imipramine and desipramine, the MAO inhibitor tranylcypromine, and amphetamine, a psychostimulant, reversed purine nucleoside-induced immobility. On the other hand, quipazine, fluoxetine, and amitriptyline failed to reverse purine nucleosides-induced prolongation of immobility. None of the antidepressants in the doses investigated had any effect by themselves.

Reserpine also prolonged forced swimming-induced immobility in mice. The antidepressants fluoxetine and quipazine, but not methylxanthine pretreatment, reversed reserpine-induced immobility in this test model. These results indicate that adenosine and 2-chloroadenosine probably reduce norepinephrine outflow through their action on presynaptic purinoceptors on noradrenergic neurons and thereby cause prolongation of immobility in animals.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pharmacology Division, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, 160014, Chandigarh, India

    S. K. Kulkarni & Ashok K. Mehta

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  1. S. K. Kulkarni
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  2. Ashok K. Mehta
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Kulkarni, S.K., Mehta, A.K. Purine nucleoside — mediated immobility in mice: Reversal by antidepressants. Psychopharmacology 85, 460–463 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00429665

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00429665

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