Pharmaco-ethological analysis of antidepressant drug effects.

An ethological approach to the analysis of antidepressant drug action focuses on the restorative effects of these drugs on intraspecies behavior and locomotor activity. The present analysis reveals that iprazid and amphetamine differentially alter locomotion and intraspecies behavior in mice that were pretreated with reserpine. Fluoxetine restores intraspecies behavior, specifically by increasing the number of passive contacts, but without activating locomotion. Trazodon, pyrazidol and clomipramine restore aggression by dominant mice that was suppressed by aversive stimulation. The restoration of intraspecies behavior among laboratory rodents subjected either to reserpine treatment or to prolonged aversive stimulation may reveal the antidepressant effects of drugs.