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Effects of bupropion on the forced swim test and release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens in ACTH-treated rats

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Abstract

The dopamine reuptake inhibitor bupropion has clinically been proven to improve depression and treatment-resistant depression. We examined its influence on the duration of immobility during the forced swim test in adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-treated rats and further analyzed the possible role of dopamine receptors in this effect. Additionally, the mechanism by which bupropion acts in this model was explored specifically in relation to the site of action through the use of microinjections into the medial prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens. Bupropion significantly decreased the duration of immobility in normal and ACTH-treated rats. This effect was blocked by D2 and D3 receptor antagonists in normal rats. Furthermore, infusions of bupropion into the nucleus accumbens, but not medial prefrontal cortex, decreased the immobility of normal and ACTH-treated rats during the forced swim test. Bupropion treatment plus repeated ACTH treatment significantly increased the extracellular dopamine concentration. These findings suggest the antidepressant-like effect of bupropion to be related to levels of dopamine in the rat nucleus accumbens.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported in part by a Grant-in-aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan (No. 21590593).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmaceutical Care and Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 1-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan

    Yoshihisa Kitamura, Takahiko Yagi, Kouhei Kitagawa & Kazuaki Shinomiya

  2. Department of Clinical Pharmaceutical Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 111 Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan

    Hiromu Kawasaki

  3. Department of Brain Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama, 700-8558, Japan

    Masato Asanuma

  4. Shujitsu University School of Pharmacy, 1-6-1 Nishigawara, Naka-ku, Okayama, 703-8516, Japan

    Yutaka Gomita

Authors
  1. Yoshihisa Kitamura
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  2. Takahiko Yagi
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  3. Kouhei Kitagawa
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  4. Kazuaki Shinomiya
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  5. Hiromu Kawasaki
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  6. Masato Asanuma
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  7. Yutaka Gomita
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Correspondence to Yoshihisa Kitamura.

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Kitamura, Y., Yagi, T., Kitagawa, K. et al. Effects of bupropion on the forced swim test and release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens in ACTH-treated rats. Naunyn-Schmied Arch Pharmacol 382, 151–158 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00210-010-0521-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00210-010-0521-x

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