IMIPRAMINE REDUCES THE LOCAL INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE TO CARRAGEENAN

Imipramine was administered chronically to LEW/N, outbred and F344/N r ats which were then exposed to the aseptic irritant carrageenin in ord er to determine whether the decreased hypothalamic expression of CRH m -RNA previously shown to be associated with imipramine affects periphe ral immune processes. Both LEW/N and outbred but not F344/N rats had v igorous inflammatory responses to carrageenin, and imipramine was asso ciated with significant decreases in the local cellular inflammatory r esponse to carrageenin. Imipramine was also associated with changes in the expression of peripheral blood cell MHC class II expression in LE W/N and outbred rats. These results suggest that at doses comparable t o those used clinically imipramine has significant effects on response to an inflammatory stimulus.