How Antidepressant Drugs Affect the Antielectroshock Action of Antiseizure Drugs in Mice: A Critical Review

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 22; no. 5; p. 2521
• Main Author: Borowicz-Reutt, Kinga K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 03.03.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Animals; Anticonvulsants; Anticonvulsants - pharmacology; antidepressant drugs; Antidepressants; Antidepressive Agents - pharmacology; Antiepileptic agents; antiepileptic drugs; Brain research; Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Carbamazepine; Convulsions & seizures; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Disease; Disease Models, Animal; Drug dosages; Drug Interactions - physiology; Electroconvulsive therapy; Electroshock - methods; Epilepsy; Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor; Humans; interactions; maximal electroshock; Mental depression; Mianserin; Mice; Neuromodulation; Neuronal-glial interactions; Pharmacokinetics; Phenytoin; Review; Seizures; Serotonin; Valproic acid; antiepileptic drugs; antidepressant drugs; maximal electroshock; interactions
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052521

Depression coexists with epilepsy, worsening its course. Treatment of the two diseases enables the possibility of interactions between antidepressant and antiepileptic drugs. The aim of this review was to analyze such interactions in one animal seizure model-the maximal electroshock (MES) in mice. Although numerous antidepressants showed an anticonvulsant action, mianserin exhibited a proconvulsant effect against electroconvulsions. In most cases, antidepressants potentiated or remained ineffective in relation to the antielectroshock action of classical antiepileptic drugs. However, mianserin and trazodone reduced the action of valproate, phenytoin, and carbamazepine against the MES test. Antiseizure drug effects were potentiated by all groups of antidepressants independently of their mechanisms of action. Therefore, other factors, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) modulation, should be considered as the background for the effect of drug combinations.