Anxiolytic and antidepressant effects of ACPA and harmaline co-treatment.
Behavioural brain research May 17, 2019 Mohaddeseh Ebrahimi-Ghiri, Mohammad Nasehi, Mohammad-Reza Zarrindast
Combining low, ineffective doses of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor agonist ACPA and the β-carboline harmaline produced both anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects in male NMRI mice, whereas either compound alone at higher doses caused anxiogenic-like responses. ACPA at 1 mg/kg reduced open-arm activity in the elevated plus maze and decreased immobility in the forced swim test, indicating anxiogenic and antidepressant effects, respectively. β-carbolines such as harmane, norharmane, and harmaline also induced anxiogenic behavior at certain doses, with some doses showing antidepressant-like effects. Only the combination of subthreshold ACPA (0.5 mg/kg) and harmaline (1.25 mg/kg) yielded beneficial behavioral changes and reduced locomotion, suggesting a potential therapeutic strategy for anxiety and depression.