EFFECT OF ACUTE DESIPRAMINE TREATMENT ON IMMUNOLOGICAL PARAMETERS IN THE RAT

There are well established bidirectional functional interactions betwe en the central nervous system (CNS) and the immune system. Because of these Links, it is plausible that antidepressant treatment can affect immune function. We evaluated the effect of acute treatment with a tri cyclic antidepressant, desipramine, on some immune parameters in the r at. Desipramine treatment (10 mg kg(-1) i.p.) produced a transient ris e in total white blood cell count and a reduction in the percentage of lymphocytes, accompanied by an increase in the percentage of neutroph ils in the peripheral blood. Acute desipramine treatment also produced a longer lasting increase in leucocyte adhesiveness and aggregation. The changes observed following acute administration of desipramine in the rat are in agreement with a large body of evidence suggesting that the CNS can affect the immune system. This study also demonstrates th at in addition to the immunological abnormalities associated with depr ession, this tricyclic antidepressant causes significant changes in ce llular immunity.