Behavioral Alteration by Amitriptyline hydrocholride in Socially Isolated and Colonized Male Mice

Moitreyee Chattopadhyay ^{1 *}, Montila Pramanik ²

¹ Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Dr. B. C. Roy College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences, Durgapur,

² Cryobank International India, Kolkata.

Correspondence: moit179@rediffmail.com

ABSTRACT

The present experimentation was designed to find the effect of social isolation on male mice and alteration in behavior by amitriptyline hydrochloride in both socially isolated male mice and colonized male mice. The immobility of mouse in Forced swim test (FST) was considered as the parameter for assessing depression for the mice kept in groups and individually caged for 28 days. Amitriptyline hydrochloride was administered at a dose of 4mg/kg i.p. and 10 mg/kg i.p. before exposure to FST to find its effect on depression. Isolation caused depression which was altered by the tricyclic antidepressant, amitriptyline hydrochloride in a dose dependent manner (4mg/kg i.p. and 10 mg/kg i.p.). Mice in groups did not show any depression which was not changed by amitriptyline hydrochloride. Social isolation cause depression in mice but when mice were in groups either with female counterparts or only with male, the depression did not occur may be due to interaction that reduced the chances of depression. Moreover, as amitriptyline hydrochloride did not reduce the immobility for the control mice so it might be inferred that FST did not develop depressed state and amitriptyline hydrochloride was ineffective in non depressed condition. Amitriptyline hydrochloride was more effective at higher concentration to reduce depression than the lower concentration.

Keywords: Isolated male mice, Forced Swim Test, Amitriptyline, and Depression.