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High-affinity nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are required for antidepressant effects of amitriptyline on behavior and hippocampal cell proliferation

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-07, 18:10 authored by Barbara J Caldarone, Alexia Harrist, Muriel A Cleary, Robert D Beech, Sarah KingSarah King, Marina R Picciotto
Background A wide variety of antidepressants act as noncompetitive antagonists of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), but the relationship between this antagonism and the therapeutic effects of antidepressants is unknown. Methods Antidepressant properties of the noncompetitive nAChR antagonist mecamylamine in the forced swim test were tested alone and in combination with the tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline. Mice lacking high-affinity nAChRs were tested in three behavioral models to determine whether these receptors are required for behavioral effects of amitriptyline in common models of antidepressant action. Finally, the brains of wild-type and knockout animals treated with amitriptyline were examined to determine whether high-affinity nAChRs are required for antidepressant-induced increases in hippocampal cell proliferation. Results Inhibition of nAChRs by mecamylamine had antidepressant-like effects in the forced swim test and potentiated the antidepressant activity of amitriptyline when the two drugs were used in combination. Mice lacking high-affinity nAChRs showed no behavioral response to amitriptyline. Finally, after chronic treatment with amitriptyline, nAChR knockout mice did not show the increase in hippocampal cell proliferation seen in wild-type mice. Conclusions These data support the hypothesis that antagonism of nAChRs is an essential component of the therapeutic action of antidepressants.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

Biological Psychiatry

ISSN

0006-3223

Publisher

Elsevier

Issue

9

Volume

56

Page range

657-664

Pages

8.0

Department affiliated with

  • Psychology Publications

Notes

Worked with first author to develop protocol and instrumentation to run the behavioural assays.

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2012-02-06

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