Abstract

Aim: To investigate the effects of vortioxetine on gastrointestinal motility and intestinal inflammation in a cuprizone-induced demyelination model in mice by evaluating pro-inflammatory cytokine responses.
Materials and Methods: Twenty-one C57Bl/6 mice (8 weeks old) were randomly allocated into three groups: Control, cuprizone, and cuprizone + vortioxetine (n = 7/group). Demyelination was induced by oral gavage of cuprizone (10 mg/kg) every other day for 5 weeks. Vortioxetine (10 mg/kg/day) was administered intraperitoneally for 5 weeks. Gastrointestinal motility was assessed by 24-hour fecal pellet count and wet fecal weight. At the end of the protocol, TNF-α and IL-1β levels in the stomach, intestine, and colon were measured by ELISA.
Results: Cuprizone administration significantly reduced fecal pellet output and wet fecal weight compared with controls (p 

Key words: Cuprizone; vortioxetine; demyelination; gastrointestinal motility; inflammation