Effect of lithium upon desipramine enhanced shock-elicited fighting in rats.
Rats were tested for changes in shock-elicited fighting (SEF) following the chronic administration of saline (IP); lithium (Li+) (20 mEq./l tap water) + saline (IP); desipramine (DMI) (15 mg/kg, IP); and DMI + Li+ for 14 days. The repeated test trials indicated a significant decrease in SEF in Li+-saline group (p less than 0.05), a significant increase (p less than p.05) in the DMI group, but no difference in the DMI + Li+ group in comparison to saline controls. Combined treatment with DMI + Li+ significantly reduced (p less than 0.05) SEF in comprison to the DMI group. These results suggest that enhanced aggressivity resulting from chronic DMI administration and measured by SEF can be a useful behavioral model to study the action of lithium.
D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects*; D000378:Agonistic Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D002712:Chlorides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003891:Desipramine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004597:Electroshock; D006801:Humans; D008094:Lithium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018021:Lithium Chloride; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D002712:Chlorides; D008094:Lithium; D018021:Lithium Chloride; D003891:Desipramine