Serotonin uptake inhibition: in vivo effect of sertraline in rats.

Sertraline, a potent and selective serotonin uptake inhibitor, was used to analyze the changes occurring in the serotonin system after uptake inhibition in vivo. Sertraline (11 mg/kg) lowered extracellular 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid (5-HIAA), measured in rat hippocampus by in vivo voltammetry, for about 3 h. The interaction between sertraline and drugs known to interfere with the release or uptake of serotonin (L-5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), d-norfenfluramine and tianeptine) was then studied. The sertraline-induced decrease in extracellular 5-HIAA was related to the inhibition of uptake.