Creatine transporter expression after antidepressant therapy in rats bred for learned helplessness

In cells and tissues with a high demand of energy such as neurons the major pool of energy is supplied by phosphocreatine. The necessary supply with creatine is directly related to the expression level of the creatine transporter (CRT). To study possible interactions between this transporter and depressive like behavior we have used a congenitally learned helplessness (cLH) model. Because uptake via CRT is the only means to supply neurons with creatine, we hypothesized a rise in CRT expression following antidepressive treatment strategies. The hippocampus of the cLH animals exhibited a significantly lower CRT expression as compared to wild type (WT) animals. Treatment with escitalopram and ECS induced an elevation of CRT levels in the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex. In WT animals there was no treatment effect. In summary, our data presented here suggest an association between depressive behavior and cellular energy metabolism in defined brain areas.