Antidepressant Effects of Ethaverine, a Calcium Channel Antagonist, in Animal Models of Depression / 신경정신의학

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: This pre-clinical study was performed to assess the effects of ethaverine in the two kinds of behavioral models of depression in rats. METHODS: We observed the changes of the immobility time in the forced swimming test and the quantity of sucrose consumed in the chronic mild stress model, using ethaverine(20mg/kg) alone, imipramine(20mg/kg) alone, or ethaverine and imipramine concomitantly. RESULTS: In the forced swimming test, both single treatment and chronic treatment(for 7 days) with imipramine or ethaverine significantly reduced the immobility time, and concomitant chronic treatment with ethaverine potentiated the effect of imipramine. In the chronic mild stress model, both imipramine and ethaverine reversed the decreased sucrose consumption induced by 3-week stress and concomitantly treated ethaverine potentiated the effect of imipramine in the early phase of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that ethaverine can be used alone or concomitantly with other anti-depressants in the clinical situation.