Abstract
In an attempt to explore the involvement of substance P in depression and anxiety and its' potential therapeutic effects, we measured basal plasma and hypothalamic levels of substance P in a well-studied animal model of depression - adult male Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats and their controls, Wistar rats. We also studied the influence of a substance P receptor (NK1) antagonist (SPA) on "anxiety-like" and "depressive-like" behaviors exhibited by the WKY rats in the open field and swim test paradigms, compared to controls. WKY rats exhibited lower levels of substance P compared to controls in the hypothalamus. Though the WKY strain exhibited less rearing behavior in the open field compared to controls, SPA did not influence this pattern of behavior. In contrast, SPA had a significant effect on a depressive-like behavior exhibited by the WKY strain - it reduced significantly the immobility duration of WKY rats in the swim test. Thus it seems that depression involves alterations in levels of substance P, and that NK1 antagonists may be effective in the relief of depressive, but not anxiety symptoms.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 619-625 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Physiology and Behavior |
| Volume | 90 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 16 Mar 2007 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The research reported in this paper was completed as part of the first author's PhD dissertation (OM in the Interdisciplinary Program in the Brain Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel). OM and YB were supported by President's fellowships, Bar-Ilan University. This research was supported by a grant from the Israel Science Foundation to A. Weller. Research in the Developmental Psychobiology lab was also partially supported by the Paula Rich Center, Bar-Ilan University.
Funding
The research reported in this paper was completed as part of the first author's PhD dissertation (OM in the Interdisciplinary Program in the Brain Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel). OM and YB were supported by President's fellowships, Bar-Ilan University. This research was supported by a grant from the Israel Science Foundation to A. Weller. Research in the Developmental Psychobiology lab was also partially supported by the Paula Rich Center, Bar-Ilan University.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Paula Rich Center | |
| Bar-Ilan University | |
| Israel Science Foundation |
Keywords
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Open field
- Rat
- Substance P
- Swim test