REBOXETINE PREVENTS THE TRANYLCYPROMINE-INDUCED INCREASE IN TYRAMINE LEVELS IN RAT-HEART

This study aimed to examine whether the increase in heart radioactivit y levels after intravenous injection of C-14-tyramine to rats pretreat ed with the irreversible MAO inhibitor tranylcypromine could be antago nized by reboxetine, a potent and selective noradrenaline uptake block er. Reboxetine was found totally to abolish the effect of tranylcyprom ine. Heart radioactivity levels after reboxetine and tranylcypromine w ere very similar to those found when tyramine was injected after rebox etine only. These results suggest that reboxetine might be advantageou sly combined with tranylcypromine, or any MAO inhibitor, in depressed patients unresponsive of either treatment given alone.