Acute Antidepressant Effects of Derivatives of 3-Hydroxypyridine and Succinic Acid in Experiments on Rats

Abstract

We report here a comparative analysis of the acute antidepressant actions of derivatives of 3-hydroxypyridine and succinic acid (emoxypine, Reamberin, and Mexidol) developing 30–45 min after single drug doses. The acute antidepressant effects of emoxypine, Reamberin, and Mexidol were assessed from the dynamics of reductions in the duration of “behavioral despair” in rats during 15-min sessions of forced swimming starting 30 min after drug administration. The stimulatory or sedative activities of the study drugs were also assessed, in terms of their influences on behavior in animals in the open field test. All derivatives of 3-hydroxypyridine and succinic acid studied here had acute antidepressant effects. The rate of onset of this effect and the presence of stimulatory or sedative activities depended on the characteristics of the chemical structures of the derivatives of 3-hydroxypyridine and succinic acid. The 3-hydroxypyridine-only derivative (emoxypine) was less active than the succinic acid derivatives (Reamberin and Mexidol) in terms of the rate of onset of the antidepressant effect and had stimulatory actions after single subantidepressant doses. Reamberin and Mexidol had acute antidepressant effects on the background of concomitant sedative effects.