Can selective serotonin retuptake inhibitor [SSRI] antidepressants induce anxiety?

ABSTRACT

This study concerns with the investigation of the potential anxiogenic-like effects of two antidepressants, having selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor [SSRI] characteristic, sertraline and clomipramine "tricyclic antidepressant with a very effective SSRI effect" through studying and characterizing rat exploratory behaviour. The experiments were performed on adult female albino rats in exploration box and classic open field paradigms. In the open field test the effects of acute intraperitoneal [i.p] administration of both drugs, in single doses of 5, 10 and 15 mg/kg, on rat exploratory behaviour were studied. In the exploration box the effects of acute [single dose] and chronic [3 weeks pretreatment] intraperitoneal administration of sertraline [10 mg/kg] and clomipramine on rat exploratory behaviour were studied on 5 consecutive days. Our results showed that acute sertraline and clomipramine [10 mg/kg] treatments, in the open field test, induced a dose-dependent significant reduction of rat exploratory behaviour. Moreover, both drugs attenuated rat exploratory behaviour in the exploration box test after chronic pretreatment. Meanwhile, only acute clomipramine treatment produced the same effect. The results of the present study clarified that attenuation of the exploratory behaviour, caused by sertraline and clomipramine, could be explained on the basis of diminished motivation and not that of increased anxiety. Both drugs should be.considered as non specific suppressors of behaviour rather a real anxiogenic drugs