Tripelennamine effects on body and organ weights, water intake, and several behaviors of rats

The effects of 14 daily injections of tripelennamine on several dependent measures were determined in groups of rats that received 0.0 (vehicle only), 2.0, 4.0, 8,0, or 16.0 mg/kg of the drug.l Tripelennamine did not affect body weights, organ weights (heart, liver, adrenals, kidneys), or blood glucose levels. Daily water intake was, however, directly and significantly related to tripelennamine dose. The drug failed to influence performance in a grasping response assay, or locomotion as measured in running wheels when rats received footshocks immediately before assessment of locomotion. Tripelennamine did significantly reduce locomotion when rats were not shocked before testing. Nociception, as measured via a hot-plate assay, also was altered by the drug. Here, rats exposed to 16 mg/kg evinced paw-lick latencies far greater than those that received lower doses. These results indicate that tripelennamine produced observable behavioral effects at doses which are not obviously toxic.