Chronic agomelatine treatment corrects behavioral, cellular, and biochemical abnormalities induced by prenatal stress in rats.

Rationale And Objectives: The rat model of prenatal restraint stress (PRS) replicates factors that are implicated in the etiology of anxious/depressive disorders. We used this model to test the therapeutic efficacy of agomelatine, a novel antidepressant that behaves as a mixed MT1/MT2 melatonin receptor agonist/5-HT(2c) serotonin receptor antagonist.

Results: Adult PRS rats showed behavioral, cellular, and biochemical abnormalities that were consistent with an anxious/depressive phenotype.

High frequency stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus impacts adult neurogenesis in a rat model of Parkinson's disease.

Chronic high frequency stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN-HFS) efficiently alleviates motor symptoms of advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). Here, we looked for possible STN-HFS-induced changes on adult brain neurogenesis in the hippocampus and olfactory bulb that may be related to non-motor deficits associated to PD, such as mood disorders and olfaction deficits. Cell proliferation (Ki-67 immuno-positive-cells) and survival (bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-immuno-positive cells) were assessed in the subventricular zone-olfactory bulb continuum and the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus of hemiparkinsonian rats with or without continuous STN-HFS for 8 days.

Region- and phase-dependent effects of 5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(2C) receptor activation on adult neurogenesis.

Adult neurogenesis and serotoninergic transmission are associated to mood disorders and their treatments. The present study focused on the effects of chronic activation of 5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(2C) receptors on newborn cell survival in the dentate gyrus (DG) and olfactory bulb (OB), and examined whether potential neurogenic zones as the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and striatum (ST) are reactive to these treatments. Administration of 8-OH-DPAT, but not RO600,175 increases neurogenesis and survival of late differentiating cells (15-21days) in the DG.

Mechanisms contributing to the phase-dependent regulation of neurogenesis by the novel antidepressant, agomelatine, in the adult rat hippocampus.

Agomelatine is a novel antidepressant acting as a melatonergic receptor agonist and serotonergic (5-HT(2C)) receptor antagonist. In adult rats, chronic agomelatine treatment enhanced cell proliferation and neurogenesis in the ventral hippocampus (VH), a region pertinent to mood disorders. This study compared the effects of agomelatine on cell proliferation, maturation, and survival and investigated the cellular mechanisms underlying these effects.

S32006, a novel 5-HT2C receptor antagonist displaying broad-based antidepressant and anxiolytic properties in rodent models.

Rationale: Serotonin (5-HT)(2C) receptors are implicated in the control of mood, and their blockade is of potential interest for the management of anxiodepressive states.

Objectives: Herein, we characterized the in vitro and in vivo pharmacological profile of the novel benzourea derivative, S32006.

Materials And Methods: Standard cellular, electrophysiological, neurochemical, and behavioral procedures were used.