Effects of antidepressants in the rat forced swimming test

Antidepressant Effects of Apocynum venetum Leaves in a Forced Swimming Test.

“…[14][15][16][17][18] It has been found that whereas response to antidepressants continues by chronic treatment, the response to antihistaminics disappeared on chronic administration. 19) The effects of psychostimulants such as caffeine or amphetamine can be excluded by additional open field tests which would markedly increase locomotor activity.…”

Is the forced swimming test a suitable model for revealing antidepressant activity?

“…, 1986Kowstowski et al 1984a, b;Miyauchi et al 1984;Drago et al 1985;Duncan et al 1985;Gorka and Janus 1985;Plaznik and Kowstowski 1985;Trzeciak et al 1986). However, the time lag (up to 7 weeks) between pretest and test session does not seem to influence immobility response to vehicle or imipramine (15 and Gorka and Wojtasik 1980Gorka and Wojtasik 1980Kawashima et al 1986ZabrowskaLupina 1980Araki et al 1984 77-78 Gorka and Wojtasik 1980;Kawashima 72-74 et al 1986;Katada et al 1981 ;Zabrowska-Lupina 1980Araki et al 1984 27-68 Araki et al 1984;Kitada et al 1981Kawashima et al 1986 Araki et al 1985 Gorka and Wojtasik 1980Gorka and Wojtasik 1980Gorka and Wojtasik 1980Herman et al 1981Araki et al 1981Araki et al 1981: Kawashima et al 1986Kitada et al 1981;Kostowski 1985Araki et al 1981Borsini et al 1981Kitada et al 1986;Kostowski et aI. 1984a, b;Plaznick et al 1985bAraki et al 1984, 1985Kitada et al 1981 Ogawa et al 1984~ Porsolt et al 1977Cooper et al 1980Satoh et al 1984Cooper et al 1980Kitada et al 1981 ;…”

“…Few experiments have been carried out with drugs interfering with cholinergic transmission. However, published data suggest that anticholinergic drugs reduce immobility time (Herman et al 1981;Kitada et al 1981 ;Duncan et al 1985;Kawashima et al 1986), whereas cholinomimetics increase it (Herman et al 1981). It is interesting to note that, unlike antidepressants, the effect of scopolamine is reduced by chronic treatment (Kawashima et al 1986).…”

Lack of Tolerance to Imipramine or Mianserine in Two Animal Models of Depression

“…This could be a factor leading to a false result, since it has been determined that prolonged antidepres sant treatments enhance drug effects on de pression animal models [18]. In our study a lag between chronic treatment and behav ioral observation under the drug was allowed in order to evaluate a possible tolerance de velopment.…”