6th Annual Judith Ramaley Celebration of Research and Creative Scholarship
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Poster #26 Mefloquine Decreases Immobility In the Tail Suspension Test
Jordan Corrigan
Faculty Mentor: John Holden Reports of adverse psychiatric effect linked to the antimalarial drug mefloquine (MFQ) have surfaced in recent years, yet little basic research pertaining to its behavioral effects exists. In this study, we looked at the effect of multiple doses of MFQ on behavior in the tail suspension test, a commonly employed mouse model of human depression. Subjects (female c57BL/6j mice, approximately 12 weeks old) were administered 4 doses of MFQ (25 mg/kg) or corn oil vehicle daily, then subjected to the tail suspension test 48 hours after the last dose. It was found that administration of MFQ led to significantly decreased immobility in the test, suggesting a long-lasting stimulatory effect possibly linked to MFQ effects on adenosine. MFQ’s long half-life (2 to 4) combined with its stimulatory effects may be responsible in part for the symptoms that have been reported. |
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