Effect of chronic exposure to sertraline on social and cognitive behavior of adult male and female rats under social isolation stress

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the long-term effect of sertraline on memory, spatial learning, anxiety-like behavior, and social relationships of rats. Twenty-eight rats (14 of each sex) were isolated from their mothers between postnatal days 30 and 55 to induce social isolation (SI) stress and were then exposed either to drinking water (SI group) or sertraline (SI+Sertraline group). Fourteen rats (7 of each sex) as the control groups were housed in large Plexiglas cages (3–4 rats in each cage). Using the three-chamber social maze, elevated plus maze (EPM), and Morris water maze (MWM) tests, animal behaviors were investigated on postnatal days 61–64. Chronic exposure to SI+Sertraline decreased interaction with new rats in the novelty phase compared to SI and control rats in the social interaction test (P < 0.05). Additionally, the time spent in the closed arms of the EPM was longer in the SI+Serteraline group compared to the SI and control rats (P < 0.05). SI+Sertraline rats showed reduced distance traveled and time of movement necessary to locate the hidden platform in the MWM test compared to the SI rats during the learning phase, but memory criteria such as time spent in the trigger area in the probe test were impaired (P < 0.05). Impairments in social interaction, spatial memory, and the anxiogenic effects following chronic administration of sertraline during chronic SI may make the treatment unsuitable for people with anxiety; however, it does have benefits for learning.