[Contribution of electrophysiology to the study of tianeptine and other antidepressive agents]

Intravenous perfusion of tianeptine reduces the frequency of coeruleus locus neural discharge. It does not affect the rate of neural discharge in the dorsal raphe, increase the rate of neural discharge in the ventral tegument air and the rate of discharge in the pyramidal cells of the hippocampus (CA1). In comparison, intravenous perfusion of clomipramine decreases the rate of neural discharge in the coeruleus locus, the dorsal raphe, the ventral tegument air (temporarily) and the pyramidal cells of the hippocampus. Iontophoretic application of tianeptine does not affect the response of pyramidal cells in the hippocampus to application of serotonin or gamma amino-butyric acid (GABA), but lowers recovery time after iontophoretic administration of serotonin or GABA. Iontophoretic application of clomipramine increases pyramidal cell response to serotonin but not to GABA and lengthens the recovery time after serotonin and GABA. The results are in agreement with the fact that tianeptine, unlike clomipramine, increases serotonin capture. Tianeptine leads to an original electrophysiologic pattern distinct from classic antidepressants and clomipramine.