P.4.04 Substitution of venlafaxine by fluoxetine and tianeptine in a conditioned taste aversion paradigm

In vitro, venlafaxine blocks the synaptosomal uptake of serotonin and noradrenaline, and accordingly it has been described as an “SNRI” (serotonin/noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (1). Various animal models of depression have already confirmed, as venlafaxine was found to be active, its antidepressant effect (2). However, the discriminative stimulus effect of this antidepressant has not been investigated yet, except in one study where it was used as a testing drug and substituted for both reboxetine, a NARI, and citalopram, a SSRI (3). A conditioned taste aversion procedure in mice was used to investigate the discriminative stimulus effect of venlafaxine, and whether this effect would be substituted by other antidepressants: fluoxetine, a SSRI, and tianeptine, serotonin reuptake enhancer.