Now comes a new rodent study, conducted by an Israeli researcher, who asserts that the diet pill Acomplia (rimonabant) may help prevent the weight gain that often accompanies long-term use of anti-depressants.

Professor Ester Fride, Ph.D., a member of the faculty at the College of Jedea and Samaria in Israel, presented this intriguing view at the 16th annual symposium of the International Cannabinoid Research Society which was held the last week of June in Hungary.

Fride's paper was boldly titled "Undesirable Weight Gain Caused by Prolonged Use of Anti-Depressant Medication May be Prevented With Rimonabant Without Loss of Antidepressant Effectiveness."

She reported that she and fellow researcher Nikolai Gobshtis reached this conclusion based on studies involving mice and rats that were given the SSRI anti-depressant fluoxetine (Prozac) as well as the older tricyclic antidepressant desipramine (Norpramin or Pertofrane).

In one commonly used laboratory measure of depression called the "forced swim test," they gave female mice Acomplia followed by either Prozac or desipramine and then put the mice in a tub of water. Swimming hard or struggling is viewed as a good sign; quickly giving up and floating is viewed as a sign of depression.

"Rimonabant did not interfere with the anti-depressant effects of desipramine or Prozac in the forced swim test," the researchers reported.

They then took mice who had started gaining weight after they had been treated for several weeks with desipramine, and gave them Acomplia.

"Rimonabant induced weight loss which persisted even after cessation of the treatment," the researchers said.

In a third test, they injected mice with both Acomplia and desipramine for three months, and assessed them periodically during and after treatment.

"Combined treatment prevented the weight gain induced by desipramine alone," the researchers reported.

On the basis of these tests, the Israeli researchers reported that Acomplia "does not interfere with the effects of anti-depressants," and said the results "demonstrated for the first time that rimonabant may be used as an adjunct medication to anti-depressants to prevent weight gain.