Antiulcer effects of trimipramine using various laboratory models.

Trimipramine, a tricyclic antidepressant, significantly inhibited the development of experimental gastric ulcers induced by various methods like stress, drug (aspirin, reserpine) and Shay's pyloric ligation in an inbred strain of albino rats. Although similar protection was observed with cimetidine, it was found to be ineffective against reserpine-induced ulcers. The antisecretory and ulcer protective effects were not only comparable with that of cimetidine, but even superior in the case of reserpine-induced ulcers. The ability of trimipramine to reduce the ulcer index in various experimental models suggests a centrally mediated effect. Trimipramine appears to be a potentially useful additional therapeutic agent not only because of its anti-ulcer property, but also due to its antidepressive property.