THE PHARMACOLOGICAL STUDIES ON DIMETACRINE: I. STUDIES ON THE ABSORPTION, DISTRIBUTION AND EXCRETION OF H3-LABELED DIMETACRINE IN THE RAT

Abstract

Dimetacrine, 10-[3(dimethylamino)propyl]-9, 9-dimethylacridan, is a tricyclic compound with a central hexagonal ring instead of the heptagonal ring common to most antidepressants. The synthesis and chemistry of this compound have been reported by Molnar et al. (1). The unique pharmacological properties of dimetacrine as a reserpine antagonism, central parasympathicolytic action and the occurrence of behavioral changes in cats and rats were observed by Jahn (2). The clinical properties and the value of this drug in the treatment of depressive states, and in a variety of psychic disorders have been well established (3-5). Schatz et al. (6) demonstrated the metabolic fate of dimetacrine by means of colorimetric assay based on the method of Herrmann et al. (7). However, the sensitivity of this method is relatively low for detection of dimetacrine and its metabolites, therefore, the present paper was undertaken to determine the metabolic patterns of this drug using radiometric assay.