Chronic treatment with imipramine does not reverse the effects of 3 anxiogenic compounds in a test of anxiety in the rat.
The ability of chronic treatment with imipramine (an antidepressant with anti-panic activity) to antagonise the anxiogenic effects of 3 different compounds was investigated in the elevated plus-maze. The compounds chosen are likely to produce anxiety by activity at different sites in the central nervous system: yohimbine, by blocking the alpha 2-adrenoceptor; FG 7142, by action at the beta-carboline site on the GABA-benzodiazepine receptor complex and pentylenetetrazole, by acting at the picrotoxinin site on this complex. Administration of imipramine following 21 days pre-treatment did not produce a significant consistent anxiolytic effect alone and was unable to reverse the anxiety produced by any of the 3 anxiogenic compounds. Our results are discussed in terms of the nature of the anxiety produced by the anxiogenic drugs and the sensitivity of tests of anxiety to anti-panic agents.
D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D001007:Anxiety / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000378:metabolism; D002243:Carbolines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D007099:Imipramine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D051381:Rats; D013997:Time Factors; D015016:Yohimbine / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D002243:Carbolines; D004338:Drug Combinations; D015016:Yohimbine; C035874:FG 7142; D007099:Imipramine; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole