Tianeptine: potential influences on neuroplasticity and novel pharmacological effects

Tianeptine is an atypical antidepressant drug. In contrast to tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), it has been suggested that tianeptine decreases serotonin's activity and amount in serotonergic synapses of the central nervous system by increasing serotonin reuptake. Tianeptine, which has a mechanism of action opposite to that of SSRIs, necessitated a re-evaluation of the biochemical basis of depression and revealed that it cannot be explained by the monoamine hypothesis only. Recent studies by tianeptine have been focused on neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity hypothesis of depression has the potential to make important contributions to the diagnosis, as well as it may be helpful in the explanation of the drug effects, which cannot be explained by neurochemical mechanisms. In addition, recent interesting results indicating anticonvulsant and analgesic activity of tianeptine and its possible interaction with adenosine A(1) receptors were obtained. In this review, novel central actions of tianeptine and the relationship between stress, neuroplasticity and drug effects were evaluated in the light of the current literature.