The effect of intracerebroventricular allopregnanolone on depressive-like behaviors of rats selectively bred for high and low immobility in the forced swim test.

Depression is a highly incapacitating disorder known to have a multifactorial etiology, including a hereditary genetic background. The neurosteroid allopregnanolone (ALLO) is a positive allosteric modulator of the GABA receptor and has been shown to have an antidepressant-like effect in animals. This study aimed to assess the behavioral effect of ALLO in animals with different backgrounds of depressive-like activity.