Regional distribution of [3H]imipramine binding in rat brain

[3H]imipramine binding was measured in 23 microdissected areas of the rat brain and compared to published values for the endogenous levels of serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine in the same areas. The density of [3H]imipramine binding sites appears to be highly correlated with the distribution of endogenous serotonin especially where the serotonin is located mainly in nerve terminals. A weak but still significant correlation also exists with the distribution of endogenous noradrenaline whereas no such correlation could be detected for endogenous dopamine.