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Quantitative analysis of the EEG effects produced by imipramine, desipramine, promazine, and monodesmethyl promazine in the isolated perfused rat brain

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Abstract

The effects of imipramine, desipramine, promazine and monodesmethyl promazine on the EEG of the isolated perfused rat brain were studied. The brain preparation was perfused for 30 min with simulated blood, containing of the drugs in a concentration of 10−5 M. Control experiments were performed without a drug added to the simplified blood. The EEG was recorded at various times on a magnetic tape and was evaluated visually and quantitatively (amplitude and interval histography). The EEG effects of imipramine and promazine as well as the effects of these drugs with their monodesmethyl metabolites were compared. The drugs produced clear EEG changes compared with the control EEG. An increase of the amplitude and a slowing of the frequency were found for all drugs. Only the changes produced by desipramine were not statistically significant. Furthermore, imipramine and promazine provoked grouped spikes, whereas monodesmethyl promazine caused grouped sharp waves; such characteristic patterns could not be observed after desipramine. The pronounced similarity of the EEG effects produced by imipramine and promazine as well as the clear difference between the imipramine and desipramine effects were pointed out as the most striking results. It was suggested that imipramine becomes a typical antidepressant in the whole organism after demethylation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neuro-Psychiatrische Klinik und Pharmakologisches Institut der UniversitÄt Mainz, Germany

    H. Rieger & J. Krieglstein

  2. Institut f. Pharmakologie und Toxikologie im FB 16 der Philipps-UniversitÄt, Deutschhausstra\e 17a, D-3550, Marburg/Lahn, Germany

    J. Krieglstein

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  1. H. Rieger
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  2. J. Krieglstein
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This work was supported by a grant from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. We thank Miss. H. Quallich for epert technical assistance.

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Rieger, H., Krieglstein, J. Quantitative analysis of the EEG effects produced by imipramine, desipramine, promazine, and monodesmethyl promazine in the isolated perfused rat brain. Psychopharmacologia 39, 163–179 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00440846

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00440846

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