RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The role of serotonin in the pathophysiology of myoclonic seizures associated with acute imipramine toxicity
JF Neurology
JO Neurology
FD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
SP 1175
OP 1175
DO 10.1212/WNL.24.12.1175
VO 24
IS 12
A1 RUTH WESTHEIMER
A1 HAROLD L. KLAWANS
YR 1974
UL http://n.neurology.org/content/24/12/1175.abstract
AB Article abstract Seizures are a well-known manifestation of imipramine toxicity, but the pathophysiology of these seizures is unknown. Since myoclonic seizures can be generated in guinea pigs with 5-hydroxytryptophan, the precursor of serotonin, and since imipramine has been observed to decrease the reuptake to serotonin in the brain, an attempt was made to potentiate 5-hydroxytryptophan-induced myoclonus in guinea pigs with imipramine. Subthreshold doses of 5-hydroxytryptophan together with 35 mg per kilogram of imiparmine consistently led ?o myoclonic seizures in the animals. Antagonists of norepinephrine, dopamine, and acetylcholine all failed to block the potentiation of 5-hydroxytryptophan-induced seizures with imipramine. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that imiprarnine acts via serotonergic mechanisms in the brain to produce myoclonic seizures.