| This thesis reviews the issues encompassing neurobiological research on human depression, with particular focus on the central serotonergic system and the olfactory bulbectomized rat model of depression. Antidepressant drug action and acceleration strategies are discussed with respect to the serotonergic drugs citalopram and pindolol, and subsequently the rationale and methods for the current thesis experiments are derived. A summary of the experimental observations will demonstrate that acute citalopram treatments can suppress serotonin synthesis through serotonergic somatodendritic autoreceptors and, moreover, this effect may be antagonized by co-treatment with pindolol. Finally, the correlation and significance of these results are discussed with respect to the neurobiology of depression and the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying antidepressant action of citalopram. |
