Effect of clomipramine treatment on dog platelet alpha 2-adrenergic receptivity

The effects of clomipramine treatment (5 mg/kg s.c. a day during 21 days) on dog platelet alpha 2-adrenoreceptivity were investigated. The radioligand binding studies on platelet membrane preparations showed that the antidepressant treatment promotes a decrease in the number of [3H]-yohimbine binding sites. The measurement of the inhibition of PGE1-induced cyclic AMP accumulation in the whole platelet indicated that the biological event immediately associated with alpha 2-adrenergic stimulation was not modified. The aggregatory response to ADP or ADP plus adrenaline was totally abolished in clomipramine-treated platelets. The diastolic pressor responses to noradrenaline or adrenaline injections (after propranolol and prazosin administration) in chloralose anaesthetized dogs were not affected by clomipramine treatment. This work shows that variations in the binding capacities of alpha 2-adrenergic sites are not always linked to modifications of related physiological events.