Bekpinar_1994_Prog.Neuropsychopharmacol.Biol.Psychiatry_18_555

The response of central cholinergic neurotransmission to the chronic administration of some psychotropic drugs to rats was investigated using brain acetylcholinesterase activity as a neurochemical marker for cholinergic neurons. Rats were divided into four groups. Three experimental groups were given chlorpromazine, amitriptyline, or diazepam respectively, for a period of 30 days; and the control group received physiological saline only. Long-term treatment of chlorpromazine and amitriptyline resulted in significant increases in rat brain cortex enzyme activity, whereas only a slight increase was observed in the diazepam-treated group. These results indicate that the chronic treatment with some psychotropic drugs causes changes in central cholinergic transmission.