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Effects of chronic antidepressant treatment on α1- and α2-adrenoceptors in the rat anococcygeus muscle

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Summary

The effects of a single administration (48 hours) and of chronic (14 days) treatment with tricyclic (desipramine, nortryptiline) and nontricyclic (mianserin, nomifensine) antidepressant drugs on responses of the isolated anococcygeus muscle to the α2-adrenoceptor agonist xylazine (inhibition of contraction to field stimulation at 1 Hz) and to the α1-adrenoceptor agonist phenylephrine (contraction of the muscle) have been studied.

Of the drugs used only desipramine and nortryptiline administered chronically reduced the responsiveness of the anococcygeus muscle to phenylephrine suggesting a desensitization of postsynaptic α1-adrenoceptors. Long-term but not acute administration of antidepressants resulted in significant decrease in sensitivity of presynaptic α2-adrenoceptors to xylazine. These results show that the adaptative changes of α-adrenoceptors in the rat anococcygeus muscle following long-term administration may depend on the efficiency to inhibit the neuronal uptake and the ability to antagonize α1-adrenoceptors.

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Author notes

  1. A. Badia

    Present address: Department de Farmacologia i Psiquiatria, Universitat AutÒnoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain

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  1. Department de Farmacologia i Psiquiatria, Universitat AutÒnoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain

    E. Vila & J. Sallés

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  1. E. Vila
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  2. J. Sallés
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  3. A. Badia
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Vila, E., Sallés, J. & Badia, A. Effects of chronic antidepressant treatment on α1- and α2-adrenoceptors in the rat anococcygeus muscle. J. Neural Transmission 82, 205–212 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01272763

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01272763

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