Antidepressant effect of venlafaxine in chronic unpredictable stress: Evidence of the involvement of key enzymes responsible for monoamine neurotransmitter synthesis and metabolism.

Antidepressant effect of venlafaxine in chronic unpredictable stress: Evidence of the involvement of key enzymes responsible for monoamine neurotransmitter synthesis and metabolism. Mol Med Rep. 2019 Jul 12;: Authors: Liu D, Hu XY, Xia HJ, Wang LJ, Shi P, Chen XP, Zhou QX Abstract A number of studies have linked abnormalities in the function of the serotonergic and noradrenergic systems to the pathophysiology of depression. It has been reported that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors promote the expression of tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH), which is involved in the synthesis of serotonin. However, limited evidence of TPH alteration has been found in selective serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), and more key enzymes need to be investigated. The aim of the present study was to determine whether venlafaxine (VLX; a classical SNRI) regulates TPH and other key enzymes responsible for the synthesis and metabolism of monoaminergic transmitters in rats with chronic unpredictable stress (CUS). The present results suggested that CUS‑exposed rats exhibited decreased locomotor activity in the open‑field test and increased immobility time in the forced swim test, as compared with the controls. Pretreatment with VLX (20 mg/kg) significantly increased locomotor activity and reduced immobility time in the CUS‑exposed rats. In addition, VLX (20 mg/kg) treatment prevented the CUS‑induced reduction in tyrosine hydroxyl...
Source: Molecular Medicine Reports - Category: Molecular Biology Tags: Mol Med Rep Source Type: research