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The paper examined the effect of 7-OH-DPAT (7-hydroxy-N,N-di-n-propyl-2-aminotetralin), a dopamine D3 receptors-prefering agonist, on the catalepsy evoked by reserpine, haloperidol and fluphenazine in rats (male Wistar), as well as the influence of nafadotride, a dopamine D3 receptors-prefering antagonist, on that effect. The obtained results show that 7-OH-DPAT, as well as L-DOPA, a drug of choice in the therapy of Parkinson's disease, used for comparison, antagonize the catalepsy induced by reserpine, haloperidol and fluphenazine. Nafadotride, used in a dose (0.2 mg/kg) which inhibits the 7-OH-DPAT-evoked locomotor hyperactivity but does not affect the hypermotility induced by amphetamine and quinpirole, antagonizes the anticataleptic effect of 7-OH-DPAT or L-DOPA. It is therefore assumed that dopamine D3 receptors are involved in the anticataleptic effect of both 7-OH-DPAT and L-DOPA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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 μg) 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 (10mg/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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trimipramine (TRI), which shows a clinical antidepressant activity, is chemically related to imipramine but does not inhibit the reuptake of noradrenaline and 5-hydroxytryptamine, nor does it induce β-adrenergic down-regulation. The mechanism of its antidepressant activity is still unknown. The aim of the present study was to find out whether TRI given repeatedly was able to induce adaptive changes in the dopaminergic and α1-adrenergic systems, demonstrated by us previously for various antidepressants. TRI was given to male Wistar rats and male Albino Swiss mice perorally twice daily for 14 days. In the acute experiment TRI (given i.p.) does not antagonize the reserpine hypothermia in mice and does not potentiate the 5-hydroxytryptophan head twitches in rats. TRI given repeatedly to rats increases the locomotor hyperactivity induced by d-amphetamine, quinpirole and (±)-7-hydroxy-dipropylo-aminotetralin (dopamine D2 and D3 effects). The stereotypies induced by d-amphetamine or apomorphine are not potentiated by TRI. It increases the behaviour stimulation evoked by phenylephrine (given intraventricularly) in rats, evaluated in the open field test as well as the aggressiveness evoked by clonidine in mice, both these effects being mediated by an α1-adrenergic receptor. It may be concluded that, like other tricyclic antidepressants studied previously, TRI given repeatedly increases the responsiveness of brain dopamine D2 and D3 (locomotor activity but not stereotypy) as well as α1-adrenergic receptors to their agonists. A question arises whether the re-uptake inhibition is of any importance to the adaptive changes induced by repeated antidepressants, suggested to be responsible for the antidepressant activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]