TY - JOUR
T1 - The involvement of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfate ester (DHEAS) in blocking the therapeutic effect of electroconvulsive shocks in an animal model of depression
AU - Maayan, Rachel
AU - Morad, Oren
AU - Dorfman, Pnina
AU - Overstreet, David H.
AU - Weizman, Abraham
AU - Yadid, Gal
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported partially by a grant from the Sara and Moshe Mayer Foundation for Research to AW, and partially by a grant from The Israel Ministry of Health to GY.
PY - 2005/5
Y1 - 2005/5
N2 - Depressed patients with resistance to electroconvulsive treatment (ECT) had high basal serum levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) sulfate (DHEAS). To clarify the role of DHEA/S in the ECT resistance, Flinder Sensitive Line (FSL) rats, which are a genetic animal model of depression, were injected i.p. with 2 mg/kg DHEA daily for 13 days to overload their serum and brain DHEA/S levels. Thereafter, rats were exposed to electroconvulsive shock (ECS), which is analogue to ECT in humans. Both ECS and DHEA displayed an antidepressive-like effect, as assessed by immobility time in forced swim test. However, combined DHEA and ECS treatment abolished these antidepressive-like effects. In addition, the levels of neurosteroids, corticosterone and adrenocorticotropin in selected brain regions were evaluated and compared to serum levels. The present study supports our assumption that high basal levels of DHEA/S play a role in the resistance to ECS and maybe ECT in humans.
AB - Depressed patients with resistance to electroconvulsive treatment (ECT) had high basal serum levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) sulfate (DHEAS). To clarify the role of DHEA/S in the ECT resistance, Flinder Sensitive Line (FSL) rats, which are a genetic animal model of depression, were injected i.p. with 2 mg/kg DHEA daily for 13 days to overload their serum and brain DHEA/S levels. Thereafter, rats were exposed to electroconvulsive shock (ECS), which is analogue to ECT in humans. Both ECS and DHEA displayed an antidepressive-like effect, as assessed by immobility time in forced swim test. However, combined DHEA and ECS treatment abolished these antidepressive-like effects. In addition, the levels of neurosteroids, corticosterone and adrenocorticotropin in selected brain regions were evaluated and compared to serum levels. The present study supports our assumption that high basal levels of DHEA/S play a role in the resistance to ECS and maybe ECT in humans.
KW - Corticosterone
KW - Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)
KW - Depression
KW - Electroconvulsive shock (ECS)
KW - Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
KW - Neurosteroids
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=16844385304&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2004.10.005
DO - 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2004.10.005
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AN - SCOPUS:16844385304
SN - 0924-977X
VL - 15
SP - 253
EP - 262
JO - European Neuropsychopharmacology
JF - European Neuropsychopharmacology
IS - 3
ER -