Transcriptome analysis in hippocampus of DBA/2 mice under different doses of Venlafaxine

Molecular effectiveness of antidepressants is a still not sufficiently understood process. The hippocampus as a brain region controlling formation of memory and learning processes as well as emotional evaluation during memory retrieval is of special interest in this reagard. We compared gene expression profiles in hippocampi of male DBA/2 mice after one month of different daily doses of the sSNRI antidepressant Venlafaxine to determine genes regulated under the chronic influence of this drug to gain insight in potential molecular changes that might reflect transformation from pathological to physiological condition. Additionally to basic research this might provide new targets of pharmacological interventions for depression. To identify genes that are differentially expressed in the hippocampus under different dosages of the sSNRI Venlafaxine male DBA/2 mice perorally received 0, 30 respectively 100 mg of Venlafaxine per day for 30 days. RNA from hippocampus was extracted and analyzed with the Gene Chip Mouse Genome 430 2.0 (Affymetrix) after pooling of cDNA depending on laterality within dosage groups. Data from ten animals per group was independent of hippocampus laterality pooled within dosage groups.