Depletion of apomorphine induced behavioral sensitization in rats treated with escitalopram

Apomorphine is a classical psychostimulant and used throughout the world as prescribed medicine. Despite of their therapeutic effects, use of psychostimulants is restricted because some psychosis and impulse control disorders are the consequence of their long term use. Studies suggest that serotonin (5-Hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) has a critical role in psychosis and drug abuse. Center of the present article is to assess the impacts of serotonin in the easing of misuse potential; the sensitization prompted by recommended psychostimulant apomorphine. We researched that whether Escitalopram can weaken apomorphine instigated behavioral sensitization. Rats treated with Escitalopram (10 mg/kg) daily for 7 days followed by apomorphine injections (1mg/kg) for next 7 days. Apomorphine increased motor activity after single injection and repeated injections produced a progressive sensitization of motor activity. Whereas, in rats pretreated with Escitalopram apomorphine induced behavioral sensitization did not occur. In this article, from the results of this study it is concluded that apomorphine induced behavioral sensitization was smaller in rats pretreated with SSRIs. It might be due to the desensitization of somatodendritic 5-HT-1A receptors.