Humaira Anser, Sadaf Naeem, Humera Khatoon, Saira Saeed, Fouzia Israr, Shehlla Imam, Saad Sheikh, Bushra Abdul Ghafoor.
Evaluation of Antidepressant Like Effect After Single Dose Administration of Escitalopram and Amitriptyline in Rats: A Comparative Study.
Ann Jinnah Sindh Med Uni Jan ;4(1):9-12.

Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate the antidepressant effect of different doses of amitryptyline and escitalopram in animal depression model after acute administration. Methodology: We assessed the acute effects of different therapeutic doses of two antidepressant drugs amitryptyline and escitalopram on swimming using forced swim test in healthy rats. Five groups of rats were administered distilled water, amitryptyline (50 mg), amitryptyline (100 mg), escitalopram (10 mg), and escitalopram (20 mg) before 60 minutes of performance. The swimming time was observed in all groups. Results: The study showed highly significant (p<0.001) increase in swimming time in amitryptyline 100 mg treated group as compared to control. The amitryptyline 50 mg treated group also showed an insignificant increase in swimming time as compared to control. However, it was also superior to other groups. Insignificant increases in swimming time in animals treated with escitalopram 10 mg and 20 mg as compared to control were observed. Conclusion: The study found that after 60 minutes of amitryptyline 100 mg, the swimming time was found significantly increased and thus can be effective in acute alleviation of symptoms in moderate to major depressed patients. Key words: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), Tricyclic antidepressant (TCA), Forced swim test (FST)

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