The Interaction of Escitalopram and R-Citalopram At the Human Serotonin Transporter Investigated in the Mouse
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2014
Journal / Book Title
Psychopharmacology
Abstract
Rationale: Escitalopram appears to be a superior antidepressant to racemic citalopram. It has been hypothesized that binding of R-citalopram to the serotonin transporter (SERT) antagonizes escitalopram binding to and inhibition of the SERT, thereby curtailing the elevation of extracellular 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HTExt), and hence antidepressant efficacy. Further, it has been suggested that a putative allosteric binding site is important for binding of escitalopram to the primary, orthosteric, site, and for R-citalopram's inhibition hereof.Objectives: Primary: Investigate at the human (h)SERT, at clinical relevant doses, whether R-citalopram antagonizes escitalopram-induced 5-HTExt elevation. Secondary: Investigate whether abolishing the putative allosteric site affects escitalopram-induced 5-HTExt elevation and/or modulates the effect of R-citalopram.Methods: Recombinant generation of hSERT transgenic mice; in vivo microdialysis; SERT binding; pharmacokinetics; 5-HT sensitive behaviors (tail suspension, marble burying).Results: We generated mice expressing either the wild-type human SERT (hSERTWT) or hSERT carrying amino acid substitutions (A505V, L506F, I507L, S574T and I575T) collectively abolishing the putative allosteric site (hSERTALI/VFL+SI/TT). One mg/kg escitalopram yielded clinical relevant plasma levels and brain levels consistent with therapeutic SERT occupancy. The hSERT mice showed normal basal 5-HTExt levels. Escitalopram-induced 5-HTExt elevation was not decreased by R-citalopram co-treatment and was unaffected by loss of the allosteric site. The behavioral effects of the clinically relevant escitalopram dose were small and tended to be enhanced by R-citalopram co-administration.Conclusions: We find no evidence that R-citalopram directly antagonizes escitalopram or that the putative allosteric site is important for hSERT inhibition by escitalopram.
DOI
10.1007/s00213-014-3595-1
MSU Digital Commons Citation
Jacobsen, Jacob P.R.; Plenge, Per; Sachs, Benjamin D.; Pehrson, Alan; Cajina, Manuel; Du, Yunzhi; Roberts, Wendy; Rudder, Meghan L.; Dalvi, Prachiti; Robinson, Taylor J.; O'Neill, Sharon P.; Khoo, King S.; Morillo, Connie Sanchez; Zhang, Xiaodong; and Caron, Marc G., "The Interaction of Escitalopram and R-Citalopram At the Human Serotonin Transporter Investigated in the Mouse" (2014). Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works. 512.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/psychology-facpubs/512
Published Citation
Jacobsen, J.P.R., Plenge, P., Sachs, B.D. et al. The interaction of escitalopram and R-citalopram at the human serotonin transporter investigated in the mouse. Psychopharmacology 231, 4527–4540 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-014-3595-1
