Antidepressant-like action of diacamphe against the background stress-induced behavioral depression

Background. It was find out the cerebroprotective properties of diacamphe – (±)-cis-3-(2’-benzimidazolyl)-1,2,2-trimethylcyclopentan-carbonic acid hydrochloride in vivo experiments in the some models of brain injury.

Aim. To investigate the neuroprotective and antidepressant-like activities of diacamphe.

Materials and Methods. It was investigated an impact of diacamphe on inhibition of the pyramidal neurons field synaptic potentials evoked by N-methyl-D-aspartate, procedure anoxia/neuroaglicemia, and H₂O₂ in the electrophysiological experiments on hippocampal slices for evaluating of diacamphe neuroprotective activity. It was explored in behavioral experiments the impacts of diacamphe and antidepressant imipramine on basic manifestations of behavioral depression evoked by five-days swimming stress – helplessness and anhedonia.

Results. It was ascertained in experiments on the hippocampal slices that diacamphe especially at conditions of systemic administration diminished of injury of the pyramidal neurons synapses induced by procedure anoxya/aglicemia, oxidative stress, but not N-methyl-D-aspartate action. The chronic administration of diacamphe in dose 10 mg/kg reduced the manifestations of induced by swimming stress behavioral depression, decrease duration of immobility in forced swimming test (helplessness) and increase preference of intake of sweet solution comparably with water (dilution of anhedonia). Antidepressant-like action of diacamphe differences from action of traditional antidepressant imipramine so far as diacamphe did not diminishes immobilization duration in swimming test after single administration and by more slow developing of action.

Conclusions. Diacamphe possesses neuroprotective action and therefore manifests antidepressant-like action against the background behavioral depression evoked by swimming stress.