Changes in [3H]citalopram binding in cerebral cortex after antidepressant treatment in monoamine-impaired rats

The [3H]citalopram binding after three weeks vehicle, desipramine 10 mg/kg or citalopram 5 mg/kg treatment was studied in the cerebral cortex of normal, DSP-4-, and p-CPA-impaired rats. The DSP-4 50 mg/kg treatment decreased the affinity (Kd), but increased the maximal number of the apparent binding sites (Bmax) of the 5-hydroxytryptamine transporter (5-HTT). This effect was reversed by desipramine 10 mg/kg treatment. The p-CPA 350 mg/kg treatment decreased the Bmax value while the antidepressant treatment did not influence this parameter. In conclusion, our experiments demonstrate that the monoaminergic impairment induced by DSP-4 and p-CPA treatment evokes opposite changes in the 5-HTT binding characteristics and these changes are partially reversed by the chronic antidepressant treatment.