Effects of acute and chronic administration of the antidepressants, imipramine, phenelzine and mianserin, on the social behaviour of mice

Abstract

Effects of imipramine, phenelzine and mianserin on the behaviour of male CDl mice were examined after a single intraperitoneal injection (imipramine, 15.8 and 63.2 μmol/kg; phenelzine, 1 and 8μmol/kg); mianserin, 0.12 and 0.48 μmol/kg) and after administration for 12–16 days in the drinking fluid (mean daily intake; imipramine, 15.8 and 63.2 μmol/kg; phenelzine, 1 and 8 μmol/kg; mianserin, 0.12, 0.48 and 1.92 μmol/kg). Behaviour was examined by ethological procedures during 5 min encounters with an untreated partner in a familiar situation, the animal's home cage, and in the more aversive environment of an unfamiliar cage. At 30 min after injection, the higher doses of acutely administered imipramine and mianserin decreased aggressive behaviour in the unfamiliar cage. In the home cage, effects of mianserin were only slight, whereas imipramine reduced social investigation at the larger dose and in both test environments decreased digging. Phenelzine increased social investigation in both environments. After chronic administration, each of the drugs increased social investigation in the neutral cage and home cage at some of the dose levels, indicating potential anxiolytic efficacy. Mianserin showed the additional effect of enhancing digging during tests in the neutral cage, which may correlate with its anxiolytic actions. Phenelzine was the only antidepressant to increase aggression during encounters in the neutral cage after chronic administration. The significance of these findings is discussed.