Effect of citalopram, amineptine, imipramine and nortriptyline on stress-induced (footshock) analgesia in rats.

The influence of the oral administration of different doses of citalopram (5, 15 and 45 mg/kg), imipramine (15, 30, 45 and 60 mg/kg), nortriptyline (15, 45 and 60 mg/kg) and amineptine (45 mg/kg) on stress-induced analgesia has been studied in anaesthetized rats. None of the administered antidepressants seem to have appreciable analgesic activity when analgesia is tested by the tail-immersion method. Citalopram, imipramine and nortriptyline, but not amineptine, increase the analgesia induced by inescapable footshock delivered continuously for 2 min to rats.