Subchronic vortioxetine treatment -but not escitalopram- enhances pyramidal neuron activity in the rat prefrontal cortex.

Abstract Vortioxetine (VOR) is a multimodal antidepressant drug. VOR is a 5-HT 3 -R, 5-HT 7 -R and 5-HT 1D -R antagonist, 5-HT 1B -R partial agonist, 5-HT 1A -R agonist, and serotonin transporter (SERT) inhibitor. VOR shows pro-cognitive activity in animal models and beneficial effects on cognitive dysfunction in major depressive patients. Here we compared the effects of 14-day treatments with VOR and escitalopram (ESC, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) on neuronal activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Ten groups of rats (5 standard, 5 depleted of 5-HT with p -chlorophenylalanine -pCPA-, used as model of cognitive impairment) were fed with control food or with two doses of …