Chronic imipramine effects on exploratory behavior in rats.
Approximately 100 days old hooded rats, socially isolated or group-housed since weaning, received 15 daily IP injections of isotonic saline, 10 mg/kg or 20 mg/kg of imipramine HCl. Following their last injection, the rats' active choices of a novel environment, frequencies of rearing and grooming, and cells entered in an exploration box were recorded. The drug treatment reduced rearing, ambulation and (for isolated rats only) grooming, but had no effect on novelty choices. There was a significant weight loss with the higher dose and (for males only) with social isolation during the drug treatment period. While imipramine reduced grooming in isolated but not group-housed rats, there were no other interactions between the two forms of treatment. It was concluded that, in spite of its sedative action on motor activity, chronic imipramine did not alter curiosity about a novel environment.
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006120:Grooming / Q000187:drug effects; D007099:Imipramine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012737:Sex Factors; D012934:Social Isolation
D007099:Imipramine