Attenuation by chronic imipramine treatment of [3H]clonidine binding to cortical membranes and of clonidine-induced hypothermia: the influence of central chemosympathectomy.

Central chemosympathectomy with intraventricular injection of 250 microgram of 6-hydroxydopamine, resulting in depression of cerebral noradrenaline level by 75% led to an increase in specific binding of [3H]clonidine to cerebral cortical membranes, but did not affect the hypothermic response to clonidine. Chronic imipramine treatment depressed [3H]clonidine binding and attenuated clonidine-induced hypothermia similarly in non-chemosympathectomized and chemosympathectomized rats.