Antidepressants differentially modify the extinction of an aversive memory task in female rats

作者：Melo Thieza G; Izidio Geison S; Ferreira Luane S; Sousa Diego S; Macedo Priscila T; Cabral Alicia; Ribeiro Alessandra M; Silva Regina H^*

来源：Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 2012, 37(1): 33-40.

DOI：10.1016/j.pnpbp.2012.01.012

• Aversive memory
• Depression
• Fluoxetine
• Mirtazapine
• Nortriptyline

Treatment of major depression, posttraumatic stress disorder and other psychopathologies with antidepressants can be associated with improvement of the cognitive deficits related to these disorders. Although the mechanisms of these effects are not completely elucidated, alterations in the extinction of aversive memories are believed to play a role in these psychopathologies. We have recently verified that female rats present low levels of extinction when submitted to the plus-maze discriminative avoidance task. In the present study, female rats were treated long term with clinically used antidepressants (fluoxetine, nortriptyline or mirtazapine) and subjected to the plus-maze discriminative avoidance task to evaluate teal fling, memory, extinction and anxiety-related behaviors as well as behavioral despair in the forced swimming test. All groups learned the task and exhibited retrieval. Chronic treatment with fluoxetine (but not with the other antidepressants tested) increased extinction of the discriminative task. In the forced swimming test, the animals treated with fluoxetine and mirtazapine showed decreased immobility duration. In conclusion, fluoxetine potentiated extinction, while both fluoxetine and mirtazapine were effective in ameliorating depressive-like behavior in the forced swimming test, suggesting a possible dissociation between the effects on mood and the extinction of aversive memories in female rats.

• 出版日期2012-4-27