Antidepressant drugs given repeatedly increase the behavioural effects of methoxamine

Abstract
In this study we investigated the effect of imipramine, citalopram and mianserin on behavioural effects of methoxamine, an α1‐adrenoceptor agonist, in the rat. Methoxamine (25 and 50 m̈g) given into the brain lateral ventricle, increases the exploratory activity assessed in the open field test (time of walking, ambulatory activity, rearing + peeping). The studied antidepressants, administered repeatedly (10 mg/kg p.o., twice daily, 14 days) but not in single doses, enhance the above effects of methoxamine. The results provide further arguments for the hypothesis that antidepressant drugs administered repeatedly induce a functional α1‐adrenoceptor up‐regulation.

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