A new depression animal model: neonatal treatment with clomipramine facilitates the recuperation on frustration

RUETTI, E., JUSTEL, N. & MUSTACA, A.

Buenos Aires

Congreso; 14th Biennial Meeting International Society for Comparative Psychology Argentinean Scientific Society; 2008

International Society for Comparative Psychology

The neonatal administration of clomipramine produces physiological, neuroendocrinal and behavioural abnormalities when the rats become adults. These are similar to the ones observed in human depression. It was found that the administration of antidepressants normalizes these alterations. The experimental animals received a subcutaneous administration of clomipramine (15 mg/kg), twice a day, since the 8 to 21 postnatal day. The goal of the present report was to evaluate if neonatal treatment with clomipramine changes the anxiety responses when the animals were adults. The animals were exposed to a forced swim test, to check if they have depressive behaviours. The clomipramine treated animals presented more immobility than the control group. In experiment 1, we used a consummatory Contrast Successive Negative procedure. The newborn animals treated with clomipramine showed a faster recovery of frustration, compared with controls animals. In experiment 2, an Anticipatory Contrast was realized, to control potential cognitive effects involved in the previous experiment. All animals presented an anticipatory response, but there were no significant differences among animals who received treatment with neonatal clomipramine and controls. The animals treated with neonatal clomipramine showed a faster recovery of frustration, but did´t have a cognitive impairment to the presentation of different rewards.