[Influence of imipramine on arousal from winter hibernation]

Imipramine (20 and 50 mg/kg intraperitoneally) is shown to delay the arousal of gophers from hibernation. This effect is similar to the action of serotonin (5 mg/kg) and 5-oxytryptophan (50 mg/kg). In the latter, however, the action on the thermogenesis is most pronounced and, because of this the warming up of the gophers is inhibited, while imipramine acts on the arousal. Tranylcypromine (20 mg/kg) failed to exert any substantial effect on the worming up and arousal of gophers from hibernation and attenuated the action of imipramine.