Tianeptine influence on plasmatic catecholamine levels and anxiety index in rats under variable chronic stress after early maternal separation

VERONICA TRUJILLO; MARIA LUJAN MASSERONI; GLORIA LEVIN; MARTA MAGDALENA SUAREZ

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE

Taylor & Francis

Lugar: US; Año: 2008

The aim of this work was to determine the effect of chronic treatment with 5mg/Kg of tianeptine in male adult Wistar rats separated from the mother as neonates, and submitted to variable chronic stress, on plasma catecholamines and anxiety. The Plus Maze test was performed in order to calculate the anxiety index and catecholamine levels were determined by HPLC. Both stress and maternal-separation elevated catecholamine levels without affecting the anxiety. In the maternally separated-stress group, tianeptine decreased epinephrine. In the maternally separated-unstressed group tianeptine reduced anxiety and it also showed a tendency to lower anxiety index in all groups.