Dopaminergic mechanism of imipramine action in an animal model of depression.

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Muscat R, Sampson D, Willner P

Dopaminergic mechanism of imipramine action in an animal model of depression.

Biol Psychiatry. 1990 Aug 1;28(3):223-30.

PubMed ID

2378927 [ View in PubMed

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Abstract

Rats, subjected chronically (10-12 weeks) to a variety of mild, unpredictable stressors, showed a decrease in their consumption of weak sucrose solutions; normal behavior was restored by chronic (5-9 weeks) treatment with the tricyclic antidepressant imipramine. Acute administration of the dopamine receptor antagonist pimozide or the specific dopamine D2 receptor antagonist raclopride had no effect in nonstressed animals and in vehicle-treated stressed animals, but both drugs selectively reversed the improvement of performance in imipramine-treated stressed animals. The 5HT antagonist metergoline increased sucrose consumption in all groups. The data suggest that the mechanism of action of imipramine in this model is an increase in functional activity at dopamine (DA) synapses.

DrugBank Data that Cites this Article

Drug Targets

Drug	Target	Kind	Organism	Pharmacological Action	Actions
Pimozide	Dopamine D2 receptor	Protein	Humans	Yes	Antagonist	Details