Effects of desipramine on neuronal responses to dopamine, noradrenaline, 5-hydroxytryptamine and acetylcholine in the caudate nucleus of the rat.

1 The sensitivity of single neurones to microelectrophoretically applied dopamine, noradrenaline (NA), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and acetylcholing (ACh) was investigated in the caudate nucleus of the rat, anaesthetized with halothane. Both excitatory and depressant responses could be observed to each of the agonists. There was a high correlation between the direction of responses to dopamine and noradrenaline, whereas there was no significant correlation between the direction of responses to dopamine and ACh. 2 The effect of desipramine was studied on both excitatory and depressant responses to dopamine, NA and 5-HT, and on excitatory responses to ACh. Both potentiation and antagonism of neuronal responses to monoamines and ACh could be observed after a brief application of desipramine. 3 Excitatory responses to glutamate were not affected by desipramine. 4 The observation that responses to dopamine and NA can be potentiated by desipramine in the caudate nucleus suggests that uptake blockade is not a prerequisite for potentiation. 5 It is suggested that the potentiation of neuronal responses to dopamine by desipramine may be responsible for the therapeutic efficacy of desipramine in Parkinson's disease.