Increased intracranial self-stimulation in rats after long-term administration of desipramine.

The effects of long- and short-term administration of the tricyclic antidepressant desipramine on intracranial self-stimulation in rats were studied with electrodes in the A10 region of the dopamine-containing cell bodies of the ventromedial tegmentum. Long-term desipramine administration resulted in a significant shift to the left in the ascending portion of the rate--current intensity function, indicating that the activity of the mesolimbic dopamine system was enhanced. These findings point to a possible dopaminergic mechanism of action of antidepressants and support speculations concerning the role of dopamine-containing neurons in the pathophysiology of depression.