Effects of imipramine administration on mu-opioid receptor immunostaining in the rat forebrain.
Imipramine hydrochloride (CAS 113-52-0) is a widely used antidepressant and can interact with opioid receptors. However, complete information concerning possible regional alterations in mu-opioid receptor expression in the rat forebrain after chronic treatment with this substance is still lacking. This being the case, analysis of mu-opioid receptor immunostaining in several regions of the rat brain after imipramine administration in vivo was made, and an increase in the density of cells expressing mu-opioid receptors in the caudatus-putamen, the dentate gyrus and the frontal, parietal and piriform cortices after chronic imipramine treatment, with respect to controls, was found. These data suggest that mu-opioid receptor expression in the rat forebrain is altered by in vivo chronic imipramine treatment.
Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of the Basque Country, Bilbao, Spain.
J M
JM
de Gandarias
E
E
Echevarria
I
I
Acebes
M
M
Silio
L
L
Casis
D000818:Animals; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007099:Imipramine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; D007099:Imipramine