Lacidipine attenuates reserpine-induced depression-like behavior and oxido-nitrosative stress in mice

Depression is a serious medical illness displaying high lifetime prevalence, early-age onset that adversely affects socio-economic status. The bidirectional association between oxidative stress and calcium-signaling adversely affects the monoaminergic neuron functions that instigate the pathogenesis of depression. The present study investigates the effect of lacidipine (LCD), L-type Ca²⁺-channel blocker, on reserpine-induced depression in mice. Separate groups of mice (Swiss albino, 18-25 g) were administered lacidipine (0.3, 1 and 3 mg/kg, i.p.) daily for 14 days and reserpine (5 mg/kg, i.p.) was injected on day 14. Rectal temperature, catalepsy, and tail-suspension test (TST) were performed 18 h and ptosis scores at 60, 120, 240, 360 min post-reserpine treatment. Whole-brain TBARS, GSH, nitrite, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activities were estimated. Reserpine elevated the catalepsy, ptosis, hypothermia, and immobility period in TST owing to the marked increase in oxidative-nitrosative stress in the brain of mice. LCD attenuated the reserpine triggered the rise in catalepsy, ptosis scores, hypothermia, and immobility period in mice. LCD pretreatment attenuated the increase in TBARS and nitrite levels, and the decline of GSH, SOD, and catalase activities in the brain of reserpine injected mice. Bay-K8644 (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.), Ca²⁺-channel agonist, attenuated these effects of LCD (3 mg/kg) in reserpine-treated mice. It can be inferred that lacidipine (Ca²⁺ channel antagonist) attenuates depression-like symptoms in reserpine-treated mice. Furthermore, the abrogation of antidepressant-like effects of LCD by Bay-K8644 revealed that modulation of Ca²⁺-channels might present a potential strategy in the management of depression.