Abstract
Long-term treatment of rats with clinically effective tricyclic antidepressant drugs induced a selective increase in the inhibitory response of forebrain neurons to serotonin applied by microiontophoresis. Long-term administration of some related drugs which lack antidepressant efficacy failed to induce such a change. The enhanced response to serotonin induced by the clinically active tricyclic drugs took 1 to 2 weeks to develop, a time course which correlates with the delayed onset of therapeutic effects in humans.
Publication types
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Action Potentials / drug effects
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Animals
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Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / pharmacology*
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Decerebrate State
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Drug Synergism
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Geniculate Bodies / drug effects*
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Hippocampus / drug effects*
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Male
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Neural Inhibition / drug effects
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Norepinephrine / pharmacology
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Pyramidal Tracts / drug effects
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Rats
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Receptors, Serotonin / drug effects*
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Serotonin / pharmacology*
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gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / pharmacology
Substances
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Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic
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Receptors, Serotonin
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Serotonin
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gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
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Norepinephrine