Antidepressant-like effects of a novel pentapeptide, nemifitide, in an animal model of depression

  • Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2004 Sep;175(3):303-9. doi: 10.1007/s00213-004-1815-9.
David H Overstreet  1 ,  Joseph Hlavka ,  John P Feighner ,  Gabriela Nicolau ,  Jeffrey S Freed
Affiliations
  • 1. Department of Psychiatry, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7178, USA. [email protected]
PMID: 14985919 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-004-1815-9
Abstract

Background: Nemifitide is a novel peptide analog of melanocyte-inhibiting factor (MIF) that has been reported to relieve depressive symptoms in a very short period.

Objectives: The Flinders Sensitive Line (FSL) rat, a genetic animal model of depression with innate exaggerated immobility in the forced swim test, was used to obtain more detailed information about the antidepressant-like effects of nemifitide.

Methods: The FSL rats were treated chronically with various doses of nemifitide or reference antidepressants desipramine and fluoxetine for 5 or 14 days and the forced swim test was conducted 22-24 h after the last treatment.

Results: Nemifitide significantly increased swimming in the FSL rats at both low (0.025-0.3 mg/kg) and high (3.0-15.0 mg/kg) doses but not at intermediate (0.4-2.4 mg/kg) doses. Nemifitide (0.3 mg/kg) and desipramine (5.0 mg/ kg) significantly increased swimming in the FSL rats after just 5 days of treatment, but fluoxetine (5.0 mg/kg) did not. Nemifitide (0.3 mg/kg) and fluoxetine (5.0 mg/kg) had long-lasting effects, but desipramine (5.0 mg/kg) did not.

Conclusions: These findings support the value of developing nemifitide and its analogs as potential antidepressants.

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