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- Title
Antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like effects of nociceptin/orphanin FQ receptor ligands.
- Authors
Gavioli, Elaine C.; Calo', Girolamo
- Abstract
Many studies point toward the nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) and the N/OFQ peptide receptor (NOP) as targets for the development of innovative drugs for treating affective disorders. It has been reported that the activation of NOP receptors produces anxiolytic-like effects in rodents in a large series of behavioral assays, i.e., elevated plus maze, light-dark aversion, operant conflict, fear-potentiated startle, pup ultrasonic vocalizations, and hole board tests. In contrast, the blockade of N/OFQ signaling obtained with NOP-selective antagonists promotes antidepressant-like effects in the forced swimming and tail suspension tests. In these assays, N/OFQ is inactive per se, but reverses the antidepressant-like effects of NOP antagonists. NOP receptor knockout mice show an antidepressant-like phenotype, and NOP antagonists are inactive in these animals. Thus, the activation of the NOP receptor seems to evoke anxiolytic-like effects while its blockade antidepressant-like effects. This appears to be a rather unique behavioral profile since the activation or the blockade of a given neuropeptide receptor produces, in most of the cases, both antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like effects. This particular behavioral profile, the possible mechanisms of action, and the therapeutic potential of NOP receptor ligands for the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders are discussed in this review article.
- Subjects
ANTIDEPRESSANTS; PSYCHIATRIC drugs; PEPTIDES; TRANQUILIZING drugs; LIGANDS (Biochemistry); PHARMACOLOGY
- Publication
Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology, 2006, Vol 372, Issue 5, p319
- ISSN
0028-1298
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s00210-006-0035-8