Modulation of antidepressant-like activity of magnesium by serotonergic system

The influence of magnesium on the action of antidepressants drugs with different pharmacological profiles citalopram, reboxetine and tianeptine, was investigated in the forced swim test (FST) in mice. Magnesium (10 mg Mg/kg) given with reboxetine (2.5 mg/kg) did not change the behavior of animals in the FST. A synergistic effect was seen when magnesium (10 mg Mg/kg) was given jointly with citalopram (15 mg/kg) or tianeptine (20 mg/kg) in the FST, without accompanying changes in locomotor activity. Moreover, the antidepressant-like effect of magnesium (30 mg Mg/kg) was significantly reduced by pretreatment of mice with an inhibitor of serotonin synthesis, p-chlorophenylalanine (pCPA, 200 mg/kg). Thus, the antidepressant-like action of magnesium in the FST seems to involve an interaction with serotonergic system.