Citation

Daniel DG, Daniel NG, Daniel DT, Flynn LC, Allen MH. Curr. Ther. Res. Clin. Exp. 2020; 92.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Excerpta Medica)

DOI

10.1016/j.curtheres.2020.100590

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There are few rapidly acting treatments for acute suicidality or treatment-resistant depression. Propofol (2,6-diisopropylphenol) is an intravenous anesthetic agent used in outpatient settings. It is a gamma-aminobutyric acid type A agonist and has affinity at the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor. Elevation in mood and sociality in humans has been observed following propofol-induced anesthesia. Other authors reported an open-label study of repeated dosing of propofol in treatment-resistant depression in which several patients experienced sustained improvement. Recently, we reported that in a rodent model of despair, a forced swim test, 45 minutes after administration of 50 mg/kg propofol, immobility time was significantly reduced.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the experiment was to determine whether the antidepressant-like effects of a single dose of propofol in mice are sustained for 24 hours.

METHODS: The time spent immobile during a forced swim test 24 hours after intraperitoneal administration of a single dose of propofol 50 mg/kg or 0.9% saline was evaluated in 24 adult male mice (C57/BL6). Immobility time was quantified and evaluated with a custom video analysis software program.

RESULTS: Propofol-treated mice were immobile for a mean (SEM) time of 115 (13) seconds, whereas saline-treated mice were immobile for a mean (SEM) time of 94 (14) seconds. A 2-tailed unpaired t test found no significant difference between the treatment groups (t = 1.07, df = 22; P = 0.30).

CONCLUSIONS: Twenty-four hours after intraperitoneal administration, the effect of propofol on immobility time was not statistically significantly different from vehicle. However, given our previous report of at least a short-term benefit of propofol on struggling time in the forced swim time and an encouraging pilot study in humans with treatment-resistant depression, further evaluation of propofol's antidepressant potential may be warranted. © 2020 The Author(s)

Language: en

Keywords

adult; Depression; suicide; male; comparative study; priority journal; nonhuman; mouse; drug effect; sodium chloride; animal experiment; propofol; Article; single drug dose; Student t test; evaluation study; GABA; antidepressant activity; forced swim test; immobility time