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Background: Several studies provide clear evidence that exposure to various infections during pregnancy are linked with an increased risk for schizophrenia. In preclinical studies, administration of polyinosinic‐polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C) in pregnant rodents can induce maternal immune activation leading to impairments in brain function in the offspring. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of vortioxetine, a multimodal selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), in the pathophysiology of Poly I:C‐induced schizophrenia‐like model in rats. Methods: For this purpose, Poly I:C (8 mg/kg, ip) was injected into pregnant animals 14 days after mating, and tail blood was taken for determination of IL‐6 levels after 2 h. At postnatal days 83–86, behavioral tests were performed. Results: Our results revealed that Poly I:C caused impairments in prepulse inhibition, novel object recognition, social interaction, and open‐field tests. Chronic administration of vortioxetine (2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg, ip, postnatal days 69–83) caused significant improvements in these deficits. Conclusion: Overall, our findings indicate that vortioxetine may provide new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of schizophrenia. We think that increased serotonergic activity in frontal brain regions may provide the ameliorative effect of vortioxetine, especially on negative and cognitive symptoms. Therefore, it will be useful to determine the efficacy of vortioxetine with combined drugs with further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to examine the relationship between epilepsy and COX/5‐LOX inflammation pathways in the penicillin and pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)‐induced epilepsy models. For this purpose, 42 albino male Wistar rats were used in this study. In the penicillin and PTZ‐induced epilepsy models, epileptiform activity was induced by injection of penicillin (500 IU, i.c.) and PTZ (35 mg/kg, i.p., three times a week), respectively. Licofelone (20 mg/kg, i.p.), a dual inhibitor of COX/5‐LOX, and esculetin (20 mg/kg, i.p.), a 5‐LOX inhibitor, were given. In the penicillin‐induced epilepsy model, ECoG activity was recorded for 180 min. In the PTZ‐induced epilepsy model, both ECoG activity was recorded, and behavioral parameters were performed. In the penicillin groups, both licofelone and esculetin decreased the mean spike frequency and amplitude during the experiments. In the PTZ groups, licofelone (20 mg/kg, i.p.) was more effective than esculetin (20 mg/kg, i.p.). Licofelone showed its protective effects both in ECoG activity and in behavioral parameters. Esculetin was less effective when compared to licofelone. The electrophysiological and behavioral data from the present study indicated that inflammation pathways might have a crucial role in controlling epileptiform activity in rats. Licofelone might be a valuable candidate in advanced studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]