Escitalopram can reverse co-occurring depression and overactive bladder induced by corticosterone in rats

This study aimed to investigate the effects of escitalopram, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), on depressive symptoms and bladder function in a rat model of coexisting depression and overactive bladder (OAB) induced by corticosterone (CORT).

Depression and OAB were induced in 30 female Sprague-Dawley rats via subcutaneous CORT injections (20 mg/kg/day for 14 days). After treatment with escitalopram (10 mg/kg/day), solifenacin (10 mg/kg/day), mirabegron (1 mg/kg/day), or saline(1 ml/kg/day) for 14 days, behavioral tests (Novel Object Recognition Task [NORT] and Tail Suspension Test [TST]) and cystometric analysis were performed to assess depressive symptoms and bladder dysfunction.

Treatment with escitalopram significantly reversed depressive symptoms, as indicated by the NORT index and immobility time in TST. Cystometry showed that escitalopram improved bladder parameters, including bladder capacity (BC), inter-contraction interval (ICI), and bladder compliance, to a greater extent than CORT + saline, with values restored to those of the control group. In contrast, neither solifenacin nor mirabegron showed significant improvements in these parameters.

Escitalopram effectively alleviates both depressive symptoms and bladder dysfunction in a rat model of coexisting depression and OAB. These findings suggest that escitalopram may offer a promising dual-acting therapeutic approach for patients with both conditions. Further studies are required to examine its long-term efficacy and safety in clinical practice.