Antidepressant drugs increase the concentration of neuropeptide Y (NPY)-like immunoreactivity in the rat brain.
Rats were given imipramine or zimeldine orally for three weeks and the brain levels of neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactivity (NPY-LI) were measured. The concentration of NPY-LI in frontal cortical tissue was elevated by 40 and 60%, respectively. Imipramine increased the concentration of NPY-LI in the hypothalamus by 65% while zimeldine was without effect. The concentration of NPY-LI in the parietal cortex was unaffected by either of the drugs. These observations support the hypothesis that NPY might be involved in the pathophysiology of depressive illness.
Heilig
M
M
Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, University of Lund, Sweden.
Wahlestedt
C
C
Ekman
R
R
Widerlöv
E
E
D000818:Animals; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D007099:Imipramine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000032:analysis*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D015031:Zimeldine / Q000494:pharmacology*
D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D015031:Zimeldine; D007099:Imipramine