Acute Administration of Alpha-Lipoic Acid Does Not Affect Behavioural Despair in Mice Exposed to Tail Suspension Test

Abstract

Background: Depression is a psychological condition associated with decrease in work performance, interpersonal relationships, financial status, and the appearance of suicide ideation. Possible causes of depression include environmental influences, epigenetic and genetic factors. Decreased brain serotonin level has been implicated in the pathogenesis of depression. Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is a potent antioxidant synthesized via enzymatic reactions in the mitochondria. Alpha-lipoic acid possesses a wide array of metabolic benefits including increase in insulin sensitivity. Increased insulin sensitivity has been found to promote the formation of tryptophan leading to increased serotonin levels. This study evaluated the effect of ALA on behavioural despair and non-spatial short-term memory in mice.
Methodology: Twenty-five (25) mice were grouped into 5 groups of five mice each. Group 1 received normal saline 10 ml/kg, Group 2 received imipramine 20 mg/kg, Groups 3, 4 and 5 were treated with graded doses of ALA 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg orally respectively for 3 days.
Results: The results revealed that acute administration of ALA did not significantly affect the immobility time (behavioural despair) in Tail Suspension Test (TST) when compared with normal saline and imipramine groups (p > 0.05). In addition, there was no significant difference in percentage preference (short-term memory) between the ALA treated groups and the control group in Novel Object Recognition Test (NORT). In open field test, ALA 100 mg/kg group had significantly (p<0.05) increased locomotor activity (line-crossing) compared to normal saline and imipramine groups.
Conclusion: Acute administration of ALA for 3 days has no significant effect on immobility time and non-spatial short-term memory in mice.