Effects of thymoleptics on behaviour associated with changes in brain dopamine. I. Potentiation of dopa-induced gnawing of mice.

The thymoleptics imipramine, desipramine, protriptyline, nortriiptyline, chlorimipramine and amitriptyline all potentiate gnawing of mice induced by Dopa following decarboxylase inhibitior Ro 4-4602. The gnawing behavior is probably associated with the increase in brain dopamine resulting from this treatment. Thymoleptics also affect other types of behaviour associated with brain dopamine. The relevance of these effects to clinical antidepressive effect and their possible utilization for preclinical screening tests is discussed.