[Comparative study of the pharmacological and clinical effects of clorimipramine and metaprimine (19560 R.P.)].

Although its pharmacology is virtually identical with that of the tricyclic antidepressants, metapramine (19560 R.P.), i.e. methyl-5 methylamino-10 dihydro-10, 11 dibenzo (b,f) azepine, differs biochemically from the tricyclics in that it markedly enhances the turnover of norepinephrine without notably inhibiting the re-uptake of this amine. Differences in the therapeutic effects of metapramine and clorimipramine have been investigated in a double-blind clinical test. The possible relationship between these differences and the biochemistry of both compounds is discussed in terms of the monoaminergic hypotheses.