title: Acute toxicity profile of maprotiline in the rat.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to examine the toxic effects of single oral administrations of the antidepressant maprotiline at 150 mg/kg or 300 mg/kg using female Sprague-Dawley rats. Body-weight gain was significantly reduced in the group receiving 300 mg/kg on days 1-5 of the study (P<0.01). A significant reduction in food and water intake was observed on days 1 and 2 of the study (P<0.01) in the 300 mg/kg group and on day 1 in the 150 mg/kg group (P<0.05). There was a significant decrease in nocturnal home cage activity over the first five days of the study in the 300 mg/kg group (P<0.01). A significant hypothermic response was observed in both 150 and 300 mg/kg groups at 1, 2 and 4 hr after dosing (P<0.01), that had returned to control values within 8 hr following administration. This study demonstrates that a multi-parameter approach is appropriate for the investigation of high doses of antidepressants in rodents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, National University of Ireland, Galway. pipdarcy@hotmail.com
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Darcy
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dredge
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kellehir
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Leonard
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Chambers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000633:toxicity*; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004327:Drinking Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D008376:Maprotiline / Q000633:toxicity*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D008376:Maprotiline