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Human interferon-alpha increases immobility in the forced swimming test in rats
M Makino1, Y Kitano, C Komiyama
1Drug Safety Research Laboratory, Daiichi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, 16-13, Kita-Kasai 1-Chome, Edogawa-ku, Tokyo 134-8630, Japan. makinald@daiichipharm.co.jp
Objectives:
We examined the immobility of the forced swimming test induced in an animal model by human interferon (IFN), which has often been reported to induce depression in clinical use.
Methods:
In the present study, we examined the effects of human IFNs on results of the forced swimming test in rats.
Results:
Single intravenous (IV) administration of human IFN-alpha (6x10(4) IU/kg), but not of human IFN-beta or -gamma, significantly increased immobility time in the forced swimming test in rats. Repeated administration of human IFN-alpha (6x10(3) IU/kg) also significantly increased the immobility time. On the other hand, none of the rat IFNs (rat IFN-alpha, -beta and -gamma, 6x10(4) IU/kg, IV) changed the immobility time. Neither human IFNs nor rat IFNs changed the locomotor activity of rats.
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that human IFN-alpha has a greater potential for inducing increase of the immobility in the rat forced swimming test than human IFN-beta and -gamma, and that the effect of human IFN-alpha might not be mediated through IFN-alpha/beta receptors.