Biological markers of serotonin receptors in depression and animal models of depression

Summary

The mechanism of action of antidepressant drugs is postulated to be linked in part to alterations which these drugs cause in the availability of serotonin, and in the sensitivity of serotonin receptors. Studying biological markers of serotonin receptors in animal models of depression as well as in patients with depression can expand our understanding of how antidepressants work. This article reviews the actions of various known antidepressants on serotonin systems in animal models of depression, and how these actions are linked to the therapeutic mechanism of antidepressants in patients with major depressive disorder.