Involvement of 5-HT7 receptors in vortioxetine's modulation of circadian rhythms and episodic memory in rodents

Since poor circadian synchrony and cognitive dysfunction have been linked to affective disorders, antidepressants that target key 5-HT (serotonin) receptor subtypes involved in circadian rhythm and cognitive regulation may have therapeutic utility. Vortioxetine is a multimodal antidepressant that inhibits 5-HT1D, 5-HT3, 5-HT7 receptor activity, 5-HT reuptake, and enhances the activity of 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptors. In this study, we investigated the effects of vortioxetine on the period length of PER2::LUC expression, circadian behavior, and episodic memory, using tissue explants from genetically modified PER2::LUC mice, locomotor activity rhythm monitoring, and the object recognition test, respectively. Incubation of tissue explants from the suprachiasmatic nucleus of PER2::LUC mice with 0.1 μM vortioxetine increased the period length of PER2 bioluminescence. Monitoring of daily wheel-running activity of Sprague-Dawley rats treated with vortioxetine (10 mg/kg, s.c.), alone or in combination with the 5-HT1A receptor agonist flesinoxan (2.5 mg/kg, s.c.) or the 5-HT7 receptor antagonist SB269970 (30 mg/kg, s.c.), just prior to activity onset revealed significant delays in wheel-running behavior. The increase in circadian period length and the phase delay produced by vortioxetine were abolished in the presence of the 5-HT7 receptor partial agonist AS19. Finally, in the object recognition test, vortioxetine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) increased the time spent exploring the novel object during the retention test and this effect was prevented by AS19 (5 mg/kg, i.p.). In conclusion, the present study shows that vortioxetine, partly via its 5-HT7 receptor antagonism, induced a significant effect on circadian rhythm and presented promnesic properties in rodents.