NMDA but not AMPA glutamatergic receptors are involved in the antidepressant-like activity of MTEP during the forced swim test in mice

The aim of this study was to investigate whether the antidepressant-like action of MTEP is dependent on ionotropic glutamatergic receptors. Male Albino Swiss mice were used, and antidepressant-like activity was evaluated using the FST. The antidepressant-like effect of MTEP (0.3 mg/kg) was significantly antagonized by pre-treatment with the NMDA receptor agonist N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA, 75 mg/kg, ip). The AMPA receptor antagonist NBQX (10 mg/kg, ip) did not affect the MTEP activity. Our results indicate that the antidepressant-like activity of MTEP in the FST involves NMDA but not AMPA receptors and suggest that the interaction between mGluR5 and NMDA receptors plays an important role in the underlying antidepressant mechanism(s).