The apparent antinociceptive effect of desipramine and zimelidine in the tail flick test in rats is mainly caused by changes in tail skin temperature

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Abstract
Measured close to the heated spot. The selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitor zimelidine, as well as the noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor desipramine, increased tail flick latencies. However, this increase could largely be explained by a concomitant reduction in tail skin temperature. The highest dose of desipramine investigated (25 mg/kg) seemed to possess antinociceptive properties in this test also after correction for the fall in tail skin temperature. Lower doses of desipramine (5 and 15 mg/kg) and zimelidine (5, 20 and 30 mg/kg) were either inactive or their effect on tail flick latency could be explained by the fall in tail skin temperature. The apparent antinociceptive effect of zimelidine in the tail flick test thus seems to be due to an effect on tail skin temperature. Desipramine also seems to have its main effect due to a similar mechanism; however, the highest dose of desipramine used induced significant antinociception. ∗Correspondence to: Anders Lund, M.D., Department of Physiology, University of Bergen, Årstadveien 19, N-5009 Bergen, Norway. Submitted October 24, 1988; revised February 24, 1989; accepted February 27, 1989. © Lippincott-Raven Publishers....