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  • Title: Lamotrigine treatment reverses depressive-like behavior and alters BDNF levels in the brains of maternally deprived adult rats.
    Author: Abelaira HM, Réus GZ, Ribeiro KF, Zappellini G, Cipriano AL, Scaini G, Streck EL, Quevedo J.
    Journal: Pharmacol Biochem Behav; 2012 May; 101(3):348-53. PubMed ID: 22306746.
    Abstract:
    Lamotrigine is an anticonvulsant and has an antiglutamatergic action, which may contribute to its antidepressant effects, since glutamate has been linked to depression. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the behavioral and molecular effects of lamotrigine treatment in maternally deprived rats. To this aim, deprived and non-deprived male rats were treated with lamotrigine (20 mg/kg) once a day for 14 days during their adult phase. Their behavior was then assessed in the forced swimming and open field tests. In addition to this, the BDNF and NGF levels were assessed in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and amygdala. In the course of this study we demonstrated that maternally deprived rats treated with saline and lamotrigine showed an increase in their immobility time and a decrease in the climbing and swimming times when compared with non-deprived rats treated with saline alone. Treatment with lamotrigine reversed the increase in the immobility time in the deprived rats. The BDNF levels were decreased in the amygdala in deprived rats treated with saline, and treatment with lamotrigine reversed this decrease. The NGF levels were decreased in the hippocampus in deprived rats treated with saline, but treatment with lamotrigine did not reverse this decrease. In conclusion, lamotrigine showed antidepressant effects in the forced swimming test, and it presented positive effects on the BDNF protein levels in the amygdala of maternally deprived rats.
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