Adenosine administration produces an antidepressant-like effect in mice: evidence for the involvement of A 1 and A 2A receptors

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of adenosine in the forced swimming test (FST) and the tail suspension test (TST) in mice, and the contribution of adenosine A 1 and A 2A receptors to adenosine's antidepressant-like effect. The immobility time in the FST was reduced by adenosine given either by i.p. (5–10 mg/kg) or i.c.v. (0.01–10 μg/site) route. Adenosine (1–10 mg/kg, i.p.) also produced an antidepressant-like effect in the TST. No treatment affected locomotion in an open-field. The anti-immobility effect of adenosine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) in the FST was prevented by i.p. pretreatment of mice with caffeine (3 mg/kg), DPCPX (2 mg/kg) and ZM241385 (1 mg/kg). CHA (0.05 mg/kg, i.p.) and DPMA (1–5 mg/kg, i.p.) also produced an antidepressant-like effect in the FST. This is the first report of an antidepressant-like effect of adenosine in mice, apparently mediated through an interaction with A 1 and A 2A receptors.