Effects of L-aspartic acid, L-asparagine and/or L-asparaginase on forced swimming-induced immobility, analgesia, and decrease in rectal temperature in rats.

The effect of L-aspartic acid, L-asparagine and/or L-asparaginase were compared with those of imipramine on immobility, number of defecations, increase of nociceptive threshold, and hypothermia, induced by forced swimming in rats. L-Aspartic acid was found to be as effective as imipramine in reducing the effects of forced swimming, presumable by normalizing the decreased level of endogenous L-aspartic acid, due to the inhibition of L-asparaginase activity and/or by stimulating the inhibited enzyme. The other treatments antagonized the immobility, but not the increased number of defecations. All compounds abolished the elevation of nociceptive threshold and hypothermia.