Lurasidone exerts antidepressant properties in the chronic mild stress model through the regulation of synaptic and neuroplastic mechanisms in the rat prefrontal cortex

Background: Major depression is associated with several alterations, including reduced neuronal plasticity and impaired synaptic function, which represent an important target of pharmacological intervention. Methods: In the present study, we have investigated the ability of the antipsychotic drug lurasidone to modulate behavioral and neuroplastic alterations in the chronic mild stress model of depression. Results: Rats that show reduced sucrose consumption after 2 weeks of chronic mild stress have reduced expression of the pool of Bdnf transcripts with the long 3' untranslated region (3'-UTR) that may be targeted to the synaptic compartment, suggesting the contribution of the neurotrophin to the behavioral dysfunction produced by chronic mild stress. The downregulation of Bdnf expression persisted also after 7 weeks of chronic mild stress, whereas chronic lurasidone treatment improved anhedonia in chronic mild stress rats and restored Bdnf mRNA levels in the prefrontal cortex. Moreover, chronic lurasidone treatment was able to normalize chronic mild stress-induced defects of Psd95 and Gfap as well as changes in molecular regulators of protein translation at the synapse, including mTOR and eEF2. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that lurasidone shows antidepressant properties in the chronic mild stress model through the modulation of synaptic and neuroplastic proteins. Such changes may contribute to the amelioration of functional capacities, which are deteriorated in patients with major depression and stress-related disorders.