[Effects of prolonged administration of dapiprazole in rats]

In this paper we have studied the rat under chronic treatment with dapiprazole ip. (a drug with alpha-adrenergic blocking properties). For a 4 week period we have recorded, once a week, weight, rectal temperature, tail-flick, general activity and explorative behaviour on rotarod and one-arm radial maze. Surface (SEEG) and deep (DEEG) EEGrams were also recorded at the end of the experiments (4th week). SEEG and DEEG underwent the Fourier analysis (Fast Fourier Transform--see text). The findings were: 1) No change was observed in weight, rectal temperature and tail-flick time, glycemia and haematocrit. 2) Motor coordination on rotaroad dropped in 1st and 3rd week of treatment. 3) The treated rats, when in a one arm radial maze, showed signs of sedation (no grooming) from 2nd week of treatment. 4) SEEG and DEEG recordings showed a slowing activity; Fourier analysis confirmed these results. The slowing of activity (4) well agrees with the signs of sedation and behaviour (2, 3). It seems thus confirmed that alpha-adrenergic blockade is a feature of the drug together with the psychotropic effects previously described.