Chronic antidepressant treatment and mouse brain 3H-imipramine binding.

Chronic pretreatment of mice with the monoamine oxidase type B inhibitor (-)deprenyl resulted in an increase in the density of cerebral cortical 3H-imipramine binding sites and a decrease in the density of cerebral cortical beta-adrenergic receptors. In contrast, pretreatment of mice with the tricyclic antidepressants imipramine and desipramine did not alter the density of cerebral cortical 3H-imipramine binding sites. Imipramine and desipramine treatment decreased the density of beta-adrenergic receptors. Haloperidol pretreatment resulted in an increase in the density of striatal D-2 dopamine receptors, but did not alter the density of cerebral cortical 3H-imipramine binding sites or beta-adrenergic receptors. These data suggest that brain 3H-imipramine binding sites can be regulated by pharmacological pretreatment, but that this regulation may not occur for all antidepressants.