Cerebrolysin potentiates the antidepressant effect of lithium in a rat model of depression.

Rationale: Depression is the most prevalent psychiatric disorder worldwide. Although numerous antidepressant treatments are available, there is a serious clinical concern due to their severe side effects and the fact that some depressed patients are resistant to them. Lithium is the drug of choice for bipolar depression and has been used as adjunct therapy with other groups of antidepressants.

Objectives: The present study aims to investigate the effect of lithium augmentation with cerebrolysin on the neurochemical, behavioral and histopathological alterations induced in the reserpine model of depression.

Methods: The animals were divided into control and reserpine-induced model of depression. The model animals were further divided into rat model of depression, rat model treated with lithium, rat model treated with cerebrolysin and rat model treated with a combination of lithium and cerebrolysin.

Results: Treatment with lithium, cerebrolysin, or their combination alleviated most of the changes in behavior, oxidative stress parameters, acetylcholinesterase and monoamines in the cortex and hippocampus of the reserpine-induced model of depression. It also improved the alterations in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and histopathology induced by reserpine.

Conclusions: The augmentation of lithium with cerebrolysin showed a clear beneficial effect in the present model of depression suggesting the use of cerebrolysin as an adjuvant in antidepressant treatment.