Chronic exposure of human cells in culture to the tricyclic antidepressant desipramine reduces the number of beta-adrenoceptors.

The effects of the antidepressant drug desipramine (DMI) on the density of beta-adrenoceptor sites were studied on intact cultured human cells: skin fibroblasts, lung fibroblasts and macrophages. Direct binding studies were performed with the radioligand 3H-CGP 12177, a hydrophilic beta-adrenergic antagonist. The confluent cell cultures were exposed to DMI and all three cell types showed a dose-dependent decrease in the number of beta-adrenergic binding sites. This receptor desensitisation was only seen after chronic exposure of the cells to DMI. The extent of desensitisation was comparable to that seen in brain following chronic treatment of rats with DMI. The affinity of the binding sites to the radioligand was not affected by the antidepressant drug action. From these results we suggest that the in vivo effect of antidepressant drugs on postsynaptic beta-adrenoceptor density, at least in part, reflects a primary drug action and not only an adaptive change to presynaptic events.