Effect of imipramine on central 5-hydroxytryptamine turnover and metabolism in rats.

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Abstract
The levels of [3H]-5-HT (H3-5-hydroxytryptamine) and (3H)-5-HIAA (H3-5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid) in P2-fraction from rats treated with a single dose of imipramine, a tricyclic antidepressant, were lower at 2, 5 and 10 min after intraventricular administration of [3H]-5-HT, compared with control animals, though these levels were statistically insignificant. Thereafter the values became higher than in the controls. After long-term administration of imipramine, the levels of [3H]-5-HT and [3H]-5-HIAA in P2-fraction were, at any time after intraventricular administration of [3H]-5-HT, significantly lower than those in the fraction from controls. The endogenous contents of tryptophan and 5-HIAA were not altered either with a single dose or by long-term administration of imipramine; the content of endogenous 5-HT was decreased by long-term administration of imipramine. The rate of disappearance of 5-HT from presynaptic neurons was accelerated by long-term administration of imipramine.