anti-inflammatory effect of amitriptyline on ulcerative colitis in normal and reserpine-induced depressed rats

depressive disorders are more common among persons with chronic diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and anti-inflammatory effect of some antidepressants such as amitriptyline has been reported. acetic acid colitis was induced in both reserpinised (depressed) and non-reserpinised (normal) rats. reserpinised groups received reserpine (6 mg/kg, i.p.) one hour prior to colitis induction. then amitriptyline (5, 10, 20 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered to separate groups of male wistar rats. all treatments were carried out two hours after colitis induction and continued daily for four days. dexamethasone (1 mg/kg) and normal saline (1 ml/kg) were used in reference and control groups, respectively. at day five, animals were euthanized and colonic tissue injuries were assessed macroscopically and pathologically. myeloperoxidase activity as a marker of neutrophil infiltration was also measured in colonic tissues. results showed that reserpine (6 mg/kg, i.p.) intensified colitic condition. compared to control, amitriptyline (10, 20 mg/kg) and dexamethasone significantly decreased weight of colon and ulcer index in normal and reserpine-induced depressed rats. myeloperoxidase activity and pathological assessments also proved anti-inflammatory effect of amitriptyline. our results suggest that amitriptyline, a tricyclic antidepressant, could reduce inflammatory and ulcerative injuries of colon both in normal and depressed rats. so among the wide spread anti-depressant drugs, amitriptyline is a good choice to treat depression comorbidities in patients with ibd.