Absence of sibutramine effect on spontaneous anxiety in rats.

UNLABELLED INTRODUSTION: Sibutramine has been described as a drug recommended for treatment of obesity, since it has the ability to inhibit the reuptake of serotonin and noradrenaline in the central nervous system, thereby increasing energy expenditure. OBJECTIVE Investigate the anxiogenic and anxiolytic effects of acute and chronic treatment with sibutramine in rats submitted to the task of the elevated plus-maze. METHODS Diazepam was used as a positive control for the anxiolytic effect, and the task of the elevated plus-maze showed sensitivity to detect the effect. In the chronic treatment, sibutramine was ingested for a period of two months. RESULTS The acute and chronic treatments at the studied dose, which is described to produce a maximum effect of anti-obesity in rats, did not interfere with anxiety. CONCLUSIONS The acute and chronic administration of sibutramine is not related to anxiolytic or anxiogenic effects.