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Subchronic lithium treatment increases the anxiolytic-like effect of mirtazapine on the expression of contextual conditioned fear.
- Source :
-
European journal of pharmacology [Eur J Pharmacol] 2015 Jan 15; Vol. 747, pp. 13-7. Date of Electronic Publication: 2014 Nov 29. - Publication Year :
- 2015
-
Abstract
- Lithium not only has a mood-stabilizing effect but also the augmentation effect of an antidepressant, the mechanism of which remains unclear. Although lithium may augment the effect of mirtazapine, this augmentation has not been confirmed. Using a contextual fear conditioning test in rats, an animal model of anxiety or fear, we examined the effect of subchronic lithium carbonate (in diet) in combination with systemic mirtazapine on the expression of contextual conditioned fear. Mirtazapine (10mg/kg) reduced freezing one day after fear conditioning dose-dependently, whereas the anxiolytic-like effect of mirtazapine (10mg/kg) diminished seven days after fear conditioning. When the interval between fear conditioning and testing was seven days, only the combination of subchronic 0.2% Li2CO3 but not 0.05% Li2CO3 with acute mirtazapine (10mg/kg) reduced freezing significantly. These results indicate that subchronic 0.2% Li2CO3 treatment enhanced the anxiolytic-like effect of systemic mirtazapine. This augmentation therapy might be useful for the treatment of anxiety disorders.<br /> (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
- Subjects :
- Animals
Anti-Anxiety Agents therapeutic use
Anxiety psychology
Behavior, Animal drug effects
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
Drug Synergism
Male
Mianserin pharmacology
Mianserin therapeutic use
Mirtazapine
Motor Activity drug effects
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Time Factors
Anti-Anxiety Agents pharmacology
Anxiety drug therapy
Conditioning, Psychological drug effects
Fear drug effects
Fear psychology
Lithium pharmacology
Mianserin analogs & derivatives
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1879-0712
- Volume :
- 747
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- European journal of pharmacology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 25438255
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejphar.2014.11.009