High-affinity [³H]imipramine binding in rat hypothalamus: Association with uptake of serotonin but not of norepinephrine

Inhibition of the binding of [³H]imipramine and inhibition of the uptake of [³H]serotonin and [³H]norepinephrine by a series of antidepressants and other drugs were studied in the rat hypothalamus. No correlation was found between the potencies of these drugs for the inhibition of [³H]imipramine binding and the inhibition of [ ³H]norepinephrine uptake. There was, however, a highly significant correlation between the potencies of these drugs for the inhibition of [ ³H]imipramine binding and the inhibition of [³H]serotonin uptake. These results suggest that high-affinity [³H]imipramine binding might be associated with the mechanism of serotonin uptake in the brain.