Characterization of the effect of cannabidiol, ketamine and classical antidepressants in male and female mice of the CD-1 strain in the forced swimming test

Abstract

Depression is a highly prevalent mental disorder resulting from complex interactions between social, psychological and biological factors. Gender is among the biological factors that determine differences in both the incidence and treatment of depression, as well as it can also influence tests that predict the antidepressant effect of bioactive molecules, including cannabidiol and ketamine. Thus, the present work aims to analyze the possible difference in the effective dose of different conventional antidepressants, and also of molecules with the potential to become antidepressant drugs, according to the sex of the animals. For this, male and female CD-1 mice will be treated systemically with tricyclic antidepressants (imipramine), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (fluoxetine), noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (reboxetine), ketamine or cannabidiol and will be evaluated in the forced swim test. After the behavioral tests, brain samples from the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex will be removed for further analysis of changes in the endocannabinoid system in response to different treatments.