Antagonism of fenfluramine‐induced hyperthermia in rats by some, but not all, selective inhibitors of 5‐hydroxytryptamine uptake

Abstract

The injection of fenfluramine (7.5 mg kg−1, i.p.) to rats housed at 27–28°C was associated with an elevation of core body temperature which peaked at approximately 1 h post‐injection. One h pretreatment with Citalopram (20 mg kg−1, i.p.), chlorimipramine (10 mg kg−1, i.p.), femoxetine (10 mg kg−1, i.p.) and fluoxetine (20 mg kg−1, i.p.) resulted in an attenuated response to fenfluramine. In contrast, Org 6582 (20 mg kg−1) and zimelidine (20 mg kg−1) were devoid of an effect on fenfluramine‐induced hyperthermia. The response to fenfluramine was also blocked by i.p. injections of metergoline (0.2 mg kg−1), methysergide (5 mg kg−1) and mianserin (0.5 mg kg−1). Rectal temperature was unaltered by both the 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT) uptake inhibitors and the 5‐HT receptor antagonists. The IC50 values (nm) for in vitro inhibition of [3H]‐5‐HT uptake into rat hypothalamic synaptosomes were for Citalopram 2.4, chlorimipramine 8.8, femoxetine 14, fluoxetine 16, Org 6582 75 and zimelidine 250. The injection of all six compounds (20 mg kg−1, i.p.) 1 h before death was associated with an inhibition of [3H]‐5‐HT uptake into rat hypothalamic synaptosomes which ranged from 47.2% for chlorimipramine to 83.3% for Citalopram. Rat hypothalamic 5‐HT levels were decreased by approximately 50% 3 h after the injection of fenfluramine (15 mg kg−1, i.p.). This effect was blocked by a 1 h pretreatment with fluoxetine, Org 6582 and zimelidine (all 20 mg kg−1, i.p.). Ki values for displacement of specifically bound [3H]‐5‐HT (1 nm) to rat hypothalamic membranes were for metergoline 26 nm, methysergide 1.1 μm, mianserin 3.6 μm, chlorimipramine 9.2 μm and fluoxetine 32.7 μm. Values for Citalopram, femoxetine, Org 6582 and zimelidine were in excess of 65.4 μm. Fenfluramine‐induced hyperthermia in rats is blocked by Citalopram, chlorimipramine, femoxetine and fluoxetine but not by Org 6582 and zimelidine. This dichotomy cannot be explained in terms of differences in 5‐HT uptake, storage and release mechanisms in the rat hypothalamus. Moreover, antagonism of fenfluramine‐induced hyperthermia cannot be attributed to blockade of central, postsynaptic 5‐HT receptors. The involvement of an indoleamine other than 5‐HT is discussed. 1984 British Pharmacological Society