Chronic amitriptyline treatment induces hippocampal NGFI-A, glucocorticoid receptor and mineralocorticoid receptor mRNA expression in rats.

Adult male rats were treated with the antidepressant drug amitriptyline for 21 days and the expression of specific transcription factors was examined. NGFI-A mRNA expression was increased in the hippocampus and in the cerebral cortex. MR mRNA was increased in the hippocampus while GR mRNA was increased in selective hippocampal regions. There was no change in the NGFI-B mRNA expression. Thus, NGFI-A may be a mediator of plasticity-related phenomena induced by antidepressant drugs.