Pharmacologia2044-46482044-4656Science International10.3923/pharmacologia.2013.343.348SinghRamandeep SemwalAlok KakarSatinder 5201345Depression is a chronic, recurring and potentially life-threatening illness that affects up to 20% of the population across the world. Despite its prevalence and considerable impact on human, little is known about its pathogenesis. One of the major reasons is the restricted availability of validated animal models due to the absence of consensus on the pathology and etiology of depression. Numbers of synthetic derivatives are available for the treatment of this fatal disease but are associated with serious complications. A wide diversity of animal models has been used to examine antidepressant activity. These range from relatively simple models sensitive to acute treatment, to highly sophisticated models that reputedly model some aspect of depressive illness. The number of validated animal models for affective disorders is large and still growing. A basic understanding of the underlying disease processes in depression is lacking, and therefore, recreating the disease in animal models is not possible. For the animal model of depression, the relevance, reliability and reproducibility in laboratories need to be focused, currently used models of depression attempt to produce quantifiable correlates of human symptoms in experimental animals and the animal modeling remains a potentially important approach towards understanding neurochemical and neurobiological mechanisms in depression. Animal models of depression attempt to represent some aspect of the etiology, symptomatology and treatment of the disorders, in order to facilitate their scientific study. Hence, this review deals with animal models that are beneficial for evaluating the potential of antidepressants. The present review further discusses the ability of currently available animal models for depression to investigate the novel hypothesis.]]>Birmaher, B., N.D. Ryan, D.E. Williamson, D.A. Brent and J. Kaufman et al.,19963514271439Rang, H.P., M.M. Dale, J.M. Ritter and R.J. Flower,2008Patel, V.,2001573345Kessler, R.C., P. Berlind, O. Demler, R. Jin, K.R. Merikangas and E.E. Walters,200562593602Ustun, T.B.,1995Pages: 398Pages: 398WHO,2001Tsuang, M.T. and S.V. Faraone,1990Pages: 220Pages: 220Tsuang, M.T., J.L. Bar, W.S. Stone and S.V. Faraone,200437383Bear, M.F. and W.C. Abraham,199619437462Anwyl, R.,19992983120Kemp, N. and Z.I. Bashir,200165339365Mulkey, R.M., C.E. Herron and R.C. Malenka,199326110511055Mulkey, R.M., S. Endo, S. Shenolikar and R.C. Malenka,1994369486488Fitzjohn, S.M., M.J. Palmer, J.E. May, A. Neeson, S.A. Morris and G.L. Collingridge,2001in vitro.]]>537421430Schnabel, R., I.C. Kilpatrick and G.L. Collingridge,200913210951101Rammes, G., M. Palmer, M. Eder, H.U. Dodt, W. Zieglgansberger and G.L. Collingridge,2003546455460Willner, P.,198483116Willner, P.,1997134319329McKinney, W.T.,200166878Pittenger, C. and R.S. Duman,20073388109Jesberger, J.A. and J.S. Richardson,1986100256274Henn, F.A. and W.T. McKinney,19871987pp: 697-704pp: 697-704McKinney, W.T.,198427796Willner, P.,198945425455Corne, S.J., R.W. Pickering and B.T. Warner,196320106120Maj, J., L. Baran, K. Bigajska, Z. Rogoz and G. Skuza,197830431440Ortmann, R., S. Martin, E. Radeke and H. Delini-Stula,1981316225230Handley, S.L. and J. Brown,19821 and α2-adrenoceptors.]]>21507510Handley, S.L. and L. Singh,198481127127Martin, P., J. Massol, P. Soubrie and A.J. Puech,198913735748Danysz, W., T. Archer and C.J. Fowler,19911991pp: 126-156pp: 126-156Worms, P., J.P. Kan, C.G. Wermuth, R. Roncucci and K. Biziere,1987240241250Cairncross, K.D., B. Cox, C. Forster and A.F. Wren,19781131143Cairncross, K.D., B. Cox, C. Forster and A.F. Wren,19794253272Leonard, B.E. and M. Tuite,198122251286Janscar, S.M. and B.E. Leonard,19842310651070Xu, Y., B.S. Ku, H.Y. Yao, Y.H. Lin, M.A. Xing, Y.H. Zhang and X.J. Li,200582200206O'Neil, M.F. and N.A. Moore,200318239254McCulloch, M.W., M.J. Rand and D.F. Story,197349141P142PHope, W., M.W. McCulloch, M.J. Rand and D.F. Story,19756146147De la Lande, I.S. and M.J. Rand,196543639656McEwen, L.M.,1956131678689Hukovic, S.,1997120195201Puech, A.J., R. Chermant, M. Poncelet, L. Doare and P. Simon,1981758491Redrobe, J.P., M. Bourin, M.C. Colombel and G.B. Baker,199813818Vogel, G. and W.H. Vogel,1997pp: 598pp: 598Viana, A.F., I.S. Maciel, E.M. Motta, P.C. Leal, L. Pianowski, M.M. Campos and J.B. Calixto,2011Trichilia catigua hydroalcoholic extract: New evidence on its dopaminergic effects.]]>2011Bueno, A.X., A.T.S. Moreira, F.T. Silva, C.S. Estevam and M. Marchioro,2006Hyptis pectinata leaves on rodent central nervous system.]]>16317323Popik, P., M. Krawczyk, T. Kos, I. Nalep and M. Kowalska et al.,2005515128133Picciotto, M.R., D.H. Brunzell and B.J. Caldarone,20021310971106Ferguson, S.M., J.D. Broadkin, G.K. Lloyd and F. Menzaghi,2000152295303Mathur, R.,20042004pp: 76-82pp: 76-82