TY - JOUR T1 - Nicotinic Partial Agonists, Varenicline and Sazetidine-A, have Differential Effects on Affective Behavior. JF - Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics JO - J Pharmacol Exp Ther DO - 10.1124/jpet.110.166280 SP - jpet.110.166280 AU - Jill R Turner AU - Laura M Castellano AU - Julie A Blendy Y1 - 2010/01/01 UR - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/early/2010/04/30/jpet.110.166280.abstract N2 - Clinical and preclinical studies suggest that nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) are involved in affective disorders; therefore, the potential therapeutic value of nicotinic partial agonists as treatments of these disorders is of growing interest. This study evaluated the effects of acute and chronic administration of nicotine and the α4β2 nicotinic partial agonists, varenicline and sazetidine-A, in mouse models of anxiety and depression. Acutely, only nicotine and varenicline had anxiolytic effects in the marble-burying test and in the novelty-induced hypophagia (NIH) test. In contrast, in animal models of antidepressant efficacy, such as the forced swim and the tail suspension test, only acute sazetidine-A had significant antidepressant-like effects. The NIH test provides an anxiety-related measure that is sensitive to the effects of chronic, but not acute antidepressant treatment. Chronic nicotine and chronic sazetidine-A treatment were effective in this paradigm, but varenicline was ineffective. These results suggest that the partial agonists varenicline and sazetidine-A may have diverse therapeutic benefits in affective disorders.The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics ER -