Influence of citicoline on citalopram-induced antidepressant activity in depressive-like symptoms in male mice

• Published in: Physiology & behavior 2018-10, Vol.195, p.151-157
• Main Authors: Roohi-Azizi, Mahtab, Torkaman-Boutorabi, Anahita, Akhondzadeh, Shahin, Nejatisafa, Ali-Akbar, Sadat-Shirazi, Mitra-Sadat, Zarrindast, Mohammad-Reza
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antidepressive Agents - pharmacology; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; Citalopram; Citalopram - pharmacology; Citicoline; Co-administration; Cytidine Diphosphate Choline - pharmacology; Depression - drug therapy; Depressive Disorder - drug therapy; Disease Models, Animal; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Feeding Behavior - drug effects; Forced swimming test; Male; Mice; Motor Activity - drug effects; Open field test; Random Allocation; Stress, Psychological - drug therapy; Sucrose preference test
• ISSN: 0031-9384; 1873-507X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.08.002

Depression is associated with significant functional disabilities. Application of new drugs which could enhance the effectiveness of antidepressants drug and reduce side effects of their long-term use seems necessary. Citicoline is used as an effective chemical agent for improving the symptoms of some neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, in this survey, the application of citicoline as an adjuvant drug was evaluated in mice model of depression. A total of 180 adult NMRI male albino mice were used in this study. All groups were exposed to chronic unexpected mild stress (CUMS) followed by treatment with various doses of citalopram or/and citicoline or saline for 21 days. Sucrose preference (SP), open field (OF), and forced swimming test (FST) were applied to evaluate depression symptoms in the groups. The results indicated that only citicoline at the 5 mg/kg dose had shifted its status from being noneffective to become significantly effective in the co-administered group. The means of SP, OFT, and FST of the treatment groups were significantly different in favor of co-administered group compared with the other groups as well as the control group. Based on the results, it can be concluded that administration of citicoline, as an adjuvant drug, in combination with citalopram, enhanced the effectiveness of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) drugs for depression treatment. •CUMS induced depression-like symptoms such as reduction in sucrose consumption and locomotor activity, enhance in immobility time in FST•The effective doses of citalopram or citicoline improved depression symptoms in SPT and FST•The co-administration of ineffective doses of drugs ameliorated depression symptoms