The effect of noscapine on depression-like behavior in a maternal separation rat model

OBJECTIVES: Depression is a disease that reduces the quality of life and increases the risk of suicide. Early life stress increases the risk of depression by affecting brain development. Maternal separation (MS) is an animal model that causes depression-like behaviors by creating early life stress. The aim of the study was to examine the effect of noscapine on depression-like behaviors in rats exposed to early life stress. MATERIALS-METHODS: 12 pregnant Wistar Albino rats were randomly divided into 4 groups; control, MS, noscapine 5 mg/kg and noscapine 10 mg/kg. The postnatal day (PNG) on the day the rats gave birth was considered 0. Except for the control group, the offspring from other groups were kept in a different room than the mother's cage for 3 hours every day from PNG 1 to PNG 14 and maternal separation was applied therefore. In PNG 21, all pups were weaned and noscapine was administered intraperitoneally to the treatment groups, and vehicle was administered to the control and maternal separation groups for 14 days. Locomotor test, forced swimming test, passive avoidance test and sugar preference test were applied to pups on different days after the last injection day. After the last test day, animal tissues are collected and analized with immunochemistrical method. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in the locomotor test. In the forced swim test, the immobility time was found to be significantly higher in the MS group compared to the control group, while 5 mg/kg noscapine significantly reduced this time, but 10 mg/kg noscapine did not make a significant difference. In the passive avoidance test, the time to enter the dark side was significantly shorter in the MS group compared to the control group, while there was no significant difference in the noscapine 5 mg/kg group, but this time increased significantly in the noscapine 10 mg/kg group and returned to the control values. In the sugar preference test, the consumption of sugary water in the MS group decreased significantly compared to the control group, and although both doses of noscapine increased the consumption of sugary water a little, it did not create a statistically significant difference. Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor levels were decreased in the MS group compared to the control group and noscapine treatment generally had not changed this. Tumor necrosis factor levels were increased in the MS group compared to the control group and noscapine treatment generally lowered this levels closer to control group. CONCLUSIONS: These results show that noscapine can have an effect on depression-like behaviors. KEYWORDS: Noscapine, Depression, SK Channels, Maternal Separation, TNF-a