Facilitated shock-induced aggression following antidepressive medication in the rat.

Rats were tested for changes in shock-induced fighting following treatment with antidepressants of both the dibenzazepine and monoamine oxidase inhibitor classes of drug. Rats were retested for shock-induced fighting 3, 4, and 5 days after initial injections of imipramine (10 mg/kg IP bid), or saline. All three dibenzazepine groups showed increased levels of shock-induced fighting (p less than 0-01). In addition, rats were retested for shock-induced fighting 6, 30. 54, and 78 hours following the initiation of treatment with daily injections of saline, or the monoamine oxidase inhibitors: nialamide (100 mg/kg/day), iproniazid (150 mg/kg/day), and pargyline (20 mg/kg/day). All three monoamine oxidase inhibitor groups showed increased levels of shock-induced fighting after 30 hr (p less than 0.001). There was no difference in the jump threshold of rats treated with pargyline or saline.