The effect of antidepressive drugs and some related compounds on the levels of adenine nucleotides, inorganic phosphate and phosphocreatine in the rat brain.

The effects upon levels of adenine nucleotides, phosphocreatine and inorganic phosphate of iproniazid, isoniazid, phenelzine, pheniprazine, tranylcypromine, harmine, imipramine, amitriptyline, orphenadrine, diphenhydramine and cocaine have been studied. With the exception of harmine and diphenhydramine, each of these compounds increased the brain level of adenosine triphosphate and, with the exception of imipramine and cocaine, the level of adenosine diphosphate decreased. Harmine had no effect on levels of adenine nucleotides and, in the case of diphenhydramine, the level of adenosine diphosphate increased and the level of adenosine triphosphate tended to decrease. There appears to be a relationship between the ability of the drugs to cause behavioural signs of central nervous stimulation and to produce an increase in the adenosine triphosphate/diphosphate ratio. This effect may be a factor in the action of antidepressive drugs.