Evaluation of Electroconvulsive Therapy on Reserpine-induced Neuronal Degeneration and Depressive and Anxiety like Behaviors in Male Rats

Depression is a common and debilitating brain disorder and a type of psychiatric syndromes. The most common symptoms of this disease are irritability, worthlessness, sleep problems and anxiety disorders. Reserpine is a drug that can cause depression in animals if used at a very low dose. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is one of the most effective non-pharmacological treatments for depression. In this study, the effect of electroconvulsive therapy on male rats depressed by reserpine in behavioral tests and neural counting in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex areas was investigated.

In this experimental study, 40 male rats were used and they were divided into four groups of ten: 1-control group, 2- ECT group, 3- Depressed group induced by reserpine (0.2 mg/kg i.p.), 4- Depressed + ECT group. Open field, sucrose preference, forced swimming and elevated plus maze tests were used to evaluate anxiety and depression-related behavioral function. At the end of the tests, histochemical studies were performed with neuronal counting in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.

The results of anxiety and depression behavioral tests showed a significant difference between depressed group and depressed+ECT group (p<0.05). Similarly, studies of the tissue degeneration from hippocampal and prefrontal incisions, showed that ECT could significantly decrease cell death in the depressed+ECT group compared to the depressed group (p<0.05).

According to the results, ECT can reduce the anxiety and depression behaviors induced by reserpine injections in depressed animals and can cause neurogenesis in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.