Long-term antidepressant treatment: alterations in cerebral capillary permeability.
Chronic treatment of rats with amitriptyline (AMI) induced a persistent increase in the diffusibility of water into the brain (EW). This effect was observable 12 h after the last dose. AMI induces this alteration at plasma drug concentrations of 71 +/- 13 ng/ml (the therapeutic range for man is 100--250 ng/ml). Furthermore, chronic treatment potentiated the increase observed after acute drug administration and resulted in a 350% enhancement in the permeability of water across the cerebral capillary. Thus, long-term antidepressant administration can chronically influence cerebral function by affecting capillary permeability.
D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply*; D002199:Capillary Permeability / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects
D000928:Antidepressive Agents