Clomipramine in vitro reduces glucocorticoid receptor function in healthy subjects but not in patients with major depression.

Previously, we have shown that in vitro antidepressants modulate glucocorticoid receptor (GR) function and expression, and have suggested that these effects could be relevant for the mechanism of action of antidepressants. To further clarify the interaction between antidepressants and glucocorticoids, we evaluated the in vitro effect of the tricyclic antidepressant, clomipramine (CMI), on the GR function in 15 treatment-resistant depressed inpatients and 28 healthy controls. Diluted whole-blood cells were incubated for 24 h in the presence or absence of CMI (10 muM).