Comparison of desipramine, amitriptyline, zimeldine and alaproclate in six animal models used to investigate antidepressant drugs.

In the present paper the acute actions primarily of the tricyclic antidepressants amitriptyline and desipramine, the atypical antidepressant zimeldine and the potential antidepressant alaproclate were evaluated in six models used for studying antidepressant agents. These included the forced swim test, a modified learned helplessness procedure, the clonidine hypothermia test, the social dominance test (using the interaction with clonidine), a differential-reinforcement-of-low-rates (DRL-72s) schedule and conditioned avoidance response. The results showed desipramine to be effective in all the tests employed. Zimeldine was effective in the learned helplessness, DRL-72s and domination tests, but also caused notable deficits in two-way active avoidance response. Alaproclate was effective in all the tests except the domination paradigm. Amitriptyline was effective in all tests employed. The results are discussed in relation to the possible mechanism of action of these compounds in the test models employed.