title: Dopamine blocking activity of clomipramine in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
abstract: While many data suggest that Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an illness accompanied by dysregulation of the serotonergic system, interesting clinical evidence and animal studies also suggest possible dysregulation of the dopaminergic (DA) system. In order to determine whether clomipramine (CMI), an antiobsessional agent, is capable of altering DA function, we performed a neuroleptic radioreceptor assay (NRRA) on plasma samples from OCD patients before and after treatment in a double-blind, placebo controlled trial of CMI. CMI produced mild but significant DA D-2 receptor binding activity in an in vitro assay. The degree of dopamine binding activity did not correlate with clinical response to clomipramine. Because it has been suggested that another drug with antiobsessional efficacy, fluoxetine, may also have dopamine blocking properties, it may be speculated that antidopaminergic activity in combination with serotonergic effects is involved in antiobsessional activity of effective agents for some patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425.
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Austin
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Lydiard
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Ballenger
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Laraia
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Zealberg
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Fossey
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Ellinwood
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002997:Clomipramine / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; D013134:Spiperone / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
chemical_list: D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; D013134:Spiperone; D002997:Clomipramine