The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology
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Int. J. Neuropsychopharmacol. · Mar 2017
Comparative StudyRapid and Sustained Antidepressant Action of the mGlu2/3 Receptor Antagonist MGS0039 in the Social Defeat Stress Model: Comparison with Ketamine.
Similar to the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist ketamine, the metabotropic glutamate 2/3 receptor antagonist, MGS0039, shows antidepressant effects. However, there are no reports comparing these 2 compounds in the social defeat stress model of depression. ⋯ Similar to ketamine, MGS0039 shows rapid and sustained antidepressant effects in the social defeat stress model. Long-lasting synaptogenesis in the prelimbic regions of medial prefrontal cortex, dentate gyrus, and CA3 might be implicated in this sustained antidepressant effect.
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Int. J. Neuropsychopharmacol. · Oct 2016
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyAbsolute Measurements of Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor and Interleukin-1-β mRNA Levels Accurately Predict Treatment Response in Depressed Patients.
Increased levels of inflammation have been associated with a poorer response to antidepressants in several clinical samples, but these findings have had been limited by low reproducibility of biomarker assays across laboratories, difficulty in predicting response probability on an individual basis, and unclear molecular mechanisms. ⋯ We believe that these data provide a clinically suitable approach to the personalization of antidepressant therapy: patients who have absolute mRNA values above the suggested cutoffs could be directed toward earlier access to more assertive antidepressant strategies, including the addition of other antidepressants or antiinflammatory drugs.
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Int. J. Neuropsychopharmacol. · Aug 2016
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyA Phase II Dose-Ranging Study Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of the Orexin Receptor Antagonist Filorexant (MK-6096) in Patients with Primary Insomnia.
Filorexant (MK-6096) is an orexin receptor antagonist; here, we evaluate the efficacy of filorexant in the treatment of insomnia in adults. ⋯ Orexin receptor antagonism by filorexant significantly improved sleep efficiency in nonelderly patients with insomnia. Dose-related improvements in sleep onset and maintenance outcomes were also observed with filorexant.
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Int. J. Neuropsychopharmacol. · Aug 2016
ReviewGrowing up in a Bubble: Using Germ-Free Animals to Assess the Influence of the Gut Microbiota on Brain and Behavior.
There is a growing recognition of the importance of the commensal intestinal microbiota in the development and later function of the central nervous system. Research using germ-free mice (mice raised without any exposure to microorganisms) has provided some of the most persuasive evidence for a role of these bacteria in gut-brain signalling. Key findings show that the microbiota is necessary for normal stress responsivity, anxiety-like behaviors, sociability, and cognition. ⋯ However, a germ-free upbringing can induce permanent neurodevelopmental deficits that may deem the model unsuitable for specific scientific queries that do not involve early-life microbial deficiency. As such, alternatives and complementary strategies to the germ-free model are warranted and include antibiotic treatment to create microbiota-deficient animals at distinct time points across the lifespan. Increasing our understanding of the impact of the gut microbiota on brain and behavior has the potential to inform novel management strategies for stress-related gastrointestinal and neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Int. J. Neuropsychopharmacol. · Jun 2016
5-HT 1A Agonist Properties Contribute to a Robust Response to Vilazodone in the Novelty Suppressed Feeding Paradigm.
Differences in 5-HT 1A receptor function have been implicated in vulnerability to depression and in response to treatment. Adding 5-HT 1A partial agonists to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors has been touted as a strategy to increase their efficacy. Here we use the novelty suppressed feeding paradigm to compare the effects of vilazodone, a high-potency selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, with high affinity for 5-HT 1A receptors to the reference selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine across several mouse strains that differ in their response to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. ⋯ In mice, vilazodone may offer advantages in time of onset and efficacy over a reference selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor in the novelty suppressed feeding test.