Studies on the effect of cystamine on imipramine metabolism in radiation sickness.

Investigations were carried out for elucidating the effect of cystamine on the metabolism of imipramine in rats irradiated with a dose of 600 R. The investigations were based on determination of desmethylimipramine, the principal metabolite of this drug. It was found that cystamine reduced the serum imipramine level to control values but had no effect decreasing the level of desmethylimipramine. It caused also no fall in the concentration of this metabolite in brain tissue and even it raised this concentration. The authors explained these findings as a result of secondary resorption of desmethylimipramine into the blood stream, and a result of changed activity of beta-glucuronidase, these mechanisms being partly responsible for the overall effect.