Preclinical studies show that the multimodal antidepressant vortioxetine enhances long-term potentiation and dendritic branching compared to a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). Here, Chen and colleagues investigated vortioxetine׳s effects on spines and dendritic morphology in rat hippocampus compared to the SSRI, fluoxetine. Vortioxetine and fluoxetine were administered to rats for one and four weeks at doses relevant for antidepressant activity. Dendritic morphology of pyramidal neurons was examined in Golgi-stained sections from hippocampal CA1. One week of vortioxetine treatment induced changes in spine number and density and dendritic morphology, whereas an equivalent dose of fluoxetine had no effect. After 4 weeks of treatment, vortioxetine significantly increased all measures of dendritic spine morphology as did fluoxetine except for spine density of basal dendrites. Decreased spine neck length following 4-week vortioxetine treatment is consistent with a transition to mature spine morphology. The authors suggest that vortioxetine׳s effects on spine and dendritic morphology are mediated by mechanisms that go beyond serotonin reuptake inhibition.
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Chen F, du Jardin KG, Waller JA, Sanchez C, Nyengaard JR and Wegener G: Vortioxetine promotes early changes in dendritic morphology compared to fluoxetine in rat hippocampus. Eur. Neuropsychopharmacol. [Epub ahead of print, Dec. 11, 2015; doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2015.12.018 ].
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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26711685