Effects of Tolterodine on Depression, Anxiety, Learning and Memory in Mice

Background: Overactive bladder (OAB) is characterized by urinary symptoms such as frequent urination, urgency, urinary incontinence, and nocturia. Tolterodine is a drug specially developed for the treatment of overactive bladder. The aim of present study is to evaluate the effects of tolterodine on depression, anxiety, learning and memory to understand if tolterodine may be effective in OAB caused mood and cognitive disorders.

Methodology:

Study Design: All the drugs were given intraperitoneally (i.p.), 30 min before the experiment. Here, we investigated the effects of tolterodine (0.3, 1, 3 mg/kg) on depression, anxiety, learning and memory by using forced swimming test, elevated plus maze test, passive avoidance, and Morris water maze, respectively in mice. Locomotor activity was evaluated by open field test.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Pharmacology and Department of Urology, Sakarya University, Animal Research Center, between August 2019 and September 2020.

Results: All doses of tolterodine dose-dependently reduced immobility time, compared to saline group. Tolterodine (1, 3 mg/kg) prolonged the time spent in open arms compared to saline group. Tolterodine (3 mg/kg) significantly increased the number of entries into the open arms. Tolterodine had no effect on learning and memory performance of normal mice; however, tolterodine (3 mg/kg) significantly ameliorated learning and memory disruption induced by scopolamine.

Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that tolterodine prevented experimentally induced depression and anxiety, improved memory and learning of naive animals, and reversed memory and learning impairment with scopolamine. Further preclinical and clinical studies with tolterodine should be done to support all these hypothesis and patients with OAB who need antidepressant and anxiolytic therapy may be treated with single drug instead of more than one drug in the future.