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Mercier C, Rollason V, Eshmawey M, Mendes A, Frisoni GB. The treatment of behavioural and psychological symptoms in dementia: pragmatic recommendations. Psychogeriatrics 2024; 24:968-982. [PMID: 38638077 DOI: 10.1111/psyg.13116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are a clinical challenge for the lack of a sound taxonomy, frequent presentation with comorbid BPSD, lack of specific pharmacologic interventions, poor base of methodologically sound evidence with randomized clinical trials, contamination from the treatment of behavioural disturbances of young and adult psychiatric conditions, and small efficacy window of psychotropic drugs. We present here a treatment workflow based on a concept-driven literature review based on the notions that (i) the aetiology of BPSD can be mainly neurobiological (so-called 'primary' symptoms) or mainly environmental and functional ('secondary' symptoms) and that this drives treatment; (ii) the clinical efficacy of psychotropic drugs is driven by their specific profile of receptor affinity; (iii) drug treatment should follow the rules of 'start low-go slow, prescribe and revise'. This article argues in support of the distinction between primary and secondary BPSD, as well as their characteristics, which until now have been just sketchily described in the literature. It also offers comprehensive and pragmatic clinician-oriented recommendations for the treatment of BPSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Mercier
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging of Aging (LANVIE), University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Memory Center, Department of Rehabilitation and Geriatrics, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Victoria Rollason
- Department of Acute Medicine, Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology Service, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Mohamed Eshmawey
- Department of Psychiatry, Geriatric Psychiatry Service, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Aline Mendes
- Geriatrics and Rehabilitation Department, Department of Rehabilitation and Geriatrics, University Hospitals of Geneva and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Giovanni B Frisoni
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging of Aging (LANVIE), University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Memory Center, Department of Rehabilitation and Geriatrics, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Szabo B. Presynaptic Adrenoceptors. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2024. [PMID: 38755350 DOI: 10.1007/164_2024_714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Presynaptic α2-adrenoceptors are localized on axon terminals of many noradrenergic and non-noradrenergic neurons in the peripheral and central nervous systems. Their activation by exogenous agonists leads to inhibition of the exocytotic release of noradrenaline and other transmitters from the neurons. Most often, the α2A-receptor subtype is involved in this inhibition. The chain of molecular events between receptor occupation and inhibition of the exocytotic release of transmitters has been determined. Physiologically released endogenous noradrenaline elicits retrograde autoinhibition of its own release. Some clonidine-like α2-receptor agonists have been used to treat hypertension. Dexmedetomidine is used for prolonged sedation in the intensive care; It also has a strong analgesic effect. The α2-receptor antagonist mirtazapine increases the noradrenaline concentration in the synaptic cleft by interrupting physiological autoinhibion of release. It belongs to the most effective antidepressive drugs. β2-Adrenoceptors are also localized on axon terminals in the peripheral and central nervous systems. Their activation leads to enhanced transmitter release, however, they are not activated by endogenous adrenaline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bela Szabo
- Institut für Experimentelle und Klinische Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
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Jastrzębska J, Frankowska M, Smaga I, Hubalewska-Mazgaj M, Suder A, Pieniążek R, Przegaliński E, Filip M. Evaluation of the 5-HT 2C receptor drugs RO 60-0175, WAY 161503 and mirtazepine in a preclinical model of comorbidity of depression and cocaine addiction. Pharmacol Rep 2023; 75:99-118. [PMID: 36374478 PMCID: PMC9889480 DOI: 10.1007/s43440-022-00428-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epidemiological data indicate a high rate of comorbidity of depression and cocaine use disorder (CUD). The role of serotonin 2C (5-HT2C) receptors in the mechanisms responsible for the coexistence of depression and CUD was not investigated. METHODS We combined bilateral olfactory bulbectomy (OBX), an animal model of depression, with intravenous cocaine self-administration and extinction/reinstatement in male rats to investigate two 5-HT2C receptor agonists (Ro 60-0175 (RO) and WAY 161503 (WAY)) and the 5-HT2C-receptor preferring antagonist mirtazapine (MIR; an antidepressant), with the goal of determining whether these drugs alter cocaine-induced reinforcement and seeking behaviors. Additionally, neurochemical analyses were performed following cocaine self-administration and its abstinence period in the brain structures in OBX rats and SHAM-operated controls. RESULTS Acute administration of RO reduced, while WAY non-significantly attenuated cocaine reinforcement in both rat phenotypes. Moreover, RO or WAY protected against cocaine-seeking behavior after acute or after repeated drug administration during extinction training in OBX and SHAM rats. By contrast, acutely administered MIR did not alter cocaine reinforcement in both rat phenotypes, while it's acute (but not repeated) pretreatment reduced cocaine-seeking in OBX and SHAM rats. In neurochemical analyses, cocaine reinforcement increased 5-HT2C receptor levels in the ventral hippocampus; a preexisting depression-like phenotype enhanced this effect. The 10-daily cocaine abstinence reduced 5-HT2C receptor expression in the dorsolateral striatum, while the coexistence of depression and CUD enhanced local receptor expression. CONCLUSION The results support a key role of 5-HT2C receptors for treating CUD and comorbid depression and CUD. They may be backs the further research of pharmacological strategies with drug targeting receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Jastrzębska
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna 12, 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Frankowska
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna 12, 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Irena Smaga
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna 12, 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Magdalena Hubalewska-Mazgaj
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna 12, 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Agata Suder
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna 12, 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Renata Pieniążek
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna 12, 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Edmund Przegaliński
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna 12, 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Filip
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna 12, 31-343 Kraków, Poland
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Mirtazapine attenuates the cocaine-induced locomotor sensitization in male and female C57BL/6J and BALBA/cJ mouse. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2023; 222:173507. [PMID: 36481182 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2022.173507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clinical studies have described the efficacy of various therapeutic approaches. Results are inconsistent and clinical application is limited. Clinical trials have suggested that individual variability in the response to pharmacological therapies and sex affects the efficacy of some antidepressant drugs. Mouse strain-dependent variability influenced the response to antidepressant drugs. Some mouse strains respond faster and better to antidepressants than other mouse strains. We recently reported a series of preclinical studies that showed that dosing of mirtazapine, a noradrenergic and serotonergic antidepressant, in male and female Wistar rats decreased cocaine-induced locomotor activity and attenuated the induction and expression of cocaine-induced locomotor sensitization. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the mirtazapine effects, on cocaine-induced locomotor activity and cocaine-induced locomotor sensitization in male and female mice of the C57BL/6J and BALB/cJ strains, which differ in sensitivity to the cocaine motor effects and response to antidepressant drugs. METHODS Male and female BALB/cJ and C57BL/6J inbred mice (20-25 g) were daily dosed with 10 mg/kg of cocaine during the induction and expression of locomotor sensitization. During drug withdrawal, cocaine was withdrawn, and the groups received daily mirtazapine (30 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline. Mirtazapine was administered 30 min before cocaine. After each administration, locomotor activity for each animal was recorded for 30 min in transparent Plexiglass activity chambers. RESULTS Cocaine-induced locomotor activity were greater in C57BL/6J strain mice than BALB/cJ strain mice during the induction and expression phase of locomotor sensitization. The female mice of both strains showed a higher cocaine locomotor response than males and mirtazapine significantly decreased cocaine-induced locomotor activity, as well as the induction and expression of locomotor sensitization, regardless of mouse strain or sex. CONCLUSION The results suggest mirtazapine may be considered an effective therapeutic option to treat cocaine use disorder in men and women with very diverse genetic backgrounds.
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Ito H, Tsuneki H, Sasaoka T, Toyooka N, Matsuo M, Yamazaki M. Suvorexant and mirtazapine improve chronic pain-related changes in parameters of sleep and voluntary physical performance in mice with sciatic nerve ligation. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0264386. [PMID: 35213655 PMCID: PMC8880854 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Both chronic pain and sleep disorders are associated with a reduction in the quality of life. They can be both a cause and a consequence of each other, and should therefore be simultaneously treated. However, optimal treatments for chronic pain-related sleep disorders are not well established. Here, we aimed to investigate the effects of suvorexant, a novel sleep drug, and mirtazapine, a noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant, on pain-related changes in sleep parameters in a preclinical chronic pain mice model, by partial sciatic nerve ligation. We evaluated the quantity, duration, and depth of sleep by analyzing the electroencephalogram and voluntary activity by counting the number of wheel rotations to determine various symptoms of sleep disorders, including reduced total sleep time, fragmentation, low quality, and impaired activity in the daytime. Suvorexant and mirtazapine normalized the reduction in sleep time and fragmented sleep, further regaining the sleep depth at sleep onset in the chronic pain state in nerve-ligated mice. Mirtazapine also increased the percentage of rapid eye movement sleep in mice. Suvorexant decreased voluntary activity, which was prolonged after administration; however, mirtazapine did not decrease it. Although the effects of suvorexant and mirtazapine on sleep and activity are different, both suvorexant and mirtazapine could be potential therapeutic agents for chronic pain-related sleep disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hisakatsu Ito
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
- * E-mail:
| | - Hiroshi Tsuneki
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Toshiyasu Sasaoka
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Naoki Toyooka
- Faculty of Engineering, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Mitsuhiro Matsuo
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
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Danilov DS. [Antidepressants - stimulators for the release of norepinephrine and serotonin (history of creation, study of neurochemical effects and classification)]. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2021; 121:134-144. [PMID: 34037367 DOI: 10.17116/jnevro2021121041134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The history of the creation and putting into practice of antidepressants and experimental agents - blockers of α2-adrenergic receptors and serotonin 5-HT2-receptors is described. The author analyzes the history of development of mianserin, mirtazapine and other drugs and their position in the classification of antidepressants. On the basis of a generalization of historical facts, the rationality of assigning mianserin, mirtazapine, and possibly other compounds similar in chemical structure and mechanism of action to one neurochemical group and its designation by the term 'stimulators of the release of norepinephrine and (presumably) serotonin' is determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- D S Danilov
- Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
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De Deurwaerdère P, Chagraoui A, Di Giovanni G. Serotonin/dopamine interaction: Electrophysiological and neurochemical evidence. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2021; 261:161-264. [PMID: 33785130 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2021.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The interaction between serotonin (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) in the central nervous system (CNS) plays an important role in the adaptive properties of living animals to their environment. These are two modulatory, divergent systems shaping and regulating in a widespread manner the activity of neurobiological networks and their interaction. The concept of one interaction linking these two systems is rather elusive when looking at the mechanisms triggered by these two systems across the CNS. The great variety of their interacting mechanisms is in part due to the diversity of their neuronal origin, the density of their fibers in a given CNS region, the distinct expression of their numerous receptors in the CNS, the heterogeneity of their intracellular signaling pathway that depend on the cellular type expressing their receptors, and the state of activity of neurobiological networks, conditioning the outcome of their mutual influences. Thus, originally conceptualized as inhibition of 5-HT on DA neuron activity and DA neurotransmission, this interaction is nowadays considered as a multifaceted, mutual influence of these two systems in the regulation of CNS functions. These new ways of understanding this interaction are of utmost importance to envision the consequences of their dysfunctions underlined in several CNS diseases. It is also essential to conceive the mechanism of action of psychotropic drugs directly acting on their function including antipsychotic, antidepressant, antiparkinsonian, and drug of abuse together with the development of therapeutic strategies of Alzheimer's diseases, epilepsy, obsessional compulsive disorders. The 5-HT/DA interaction has a long history from the serendipitous discovery of antidepressants and antipsychotics to the future, rationalized treatments of CNS disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe De Deurwaerdère
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut des Neurosciences Intégratives et Cognitives d'Aquitaine, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France.
| | - Abdeslam Chagraoui
- Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Differentiation and Communication, Institute for Research and Innovation in Biomedicine of Normandy (IRIB), Normandie University, UNIROUEN, INSERM U1239, Rouen, France; Department of Medical Biochemistry, Rouen University Hospital, Rouen, France
| | - Giuseppe Di Giovanni
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, Msida, Malta; Neuroscience Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom.
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Rissardo JP, Caprara ALF. Mirtazapine-associated movement disorders: A literature review. Tzu Chi Med J 2020; 32:318-330. [PMID: 33163376 PMCID: PMC7605300 DOI: 10.4103/tcmj.tcmj_13_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Mirtazapine (MTZ) is an atypical antidepressant approved by the FDA, which mechanism of action involves the antagonism of alpha-2, H1, 5-HT2A, 5-HT2C, and 5-HT3 receptors. In this context, the aim of this literature review is to evaluate the clinical epidemiological profile, pathological mechanisms, and management of MTZ-associated movement disorders (MDs). Relevant reports of six databases were identified and assessed by two reviewers without language restriction. Fifty-two reports containing 179 cases from 20 countries were assessed. The mean age was 57 year (range, 17-85). The majority of the individuals were female (60%) and of European origin. The mean time from MTZ start to symptom onset was 7.54 days; the time from management to MD improvement was within one week in 82.60% of the individuals. The MDs associated with MTZ were 69 restless legs syndrome (RLS), 35 tremors, 10 akathisia (AKT), 9 periodic limb MD, 6 dystonia, 4 rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorders, 3 dyskinesia, 2 parkinsonism, and 1 tic, and in the group not clearly identified, 18 restlessness, 15 hyperkinesis, and 1 extrapyramidal symptom. In the literature, the majority of the reports lack important information about the neurological examination. The management should be the MTZ withdrawal, except in RLS that other options are possible. In AKT, the MTZ should not be rechallenge, and if available, the prescription of a benzodiazepine may reduce recovery time.
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Barbosa Méndez S, Salazar-Juárez A. Mirtazapine decreased induction and expression of cocaine + nicotine-induced locomotor sensitisation in rats. World J Biol Psychiatry 2020; 21:595-611. [PMID: 31104538 DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2019.1620967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Objectives: Concurrent abuse of cocaine and nicotine is considered a public health problem. To date, no effective therapy has been known to reduce the reinforcing effects of concurrent use of cocaine and nicotine. Mirtazapine, an antagonist of the α2-adrenoceptor and the 5-HT2A/C and the 5-HT3 receptors has proven effective in reducing the cocaine, nicotine and methamphetamine behavioural effects in humans and animals. Our study evaluated the effect of mirtazapine on enhancing locomotor activity during the induction and expression of locomotor sensitisation induced by a cocaine + nicotine mixture.Methods: Wistar rats were dosed with cocaine, nicotine or cocaine + nicotine combination. Mirtazapine (30 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered during the extinction phase.Results: Mirtazapine decreased cocaine + nicotine-induced locomotor activity and induction and expression of locomotor sensitisation. In addition, we found that co-administration of mecamylamine and mirtazapine significantly enhanced the effect of mirtazapine on cocaine + nicotine-induced locomotor activity during induction and expression of behavioural sensitisation.Conclusions: Our results suggest that mirtazapine demonstrated efficacy in decreasing the psycho-stimulant effects of concurrent use of cocaine and nicotine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana Barbosa Méndez
- Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología Conductual, Microcirugía, y Terapéutica Experimental, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría, Ciudad de México, 14370, México
| | - Alberto Salazar-Juárez
- Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología Conductual, Microcirugía, y Terapéutica Experimental, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría, Ciudad de México, 14370, México
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Barbosa-Méndez S, Osorio-Santiago KL, Salazar-Juárez A. Mirtazapine reduces the expression of cocaine-induced locomotor sensitization in male and female Wistar rats. Horm Behav 2020; 125:104817. [PMID: 32682854 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epidemiological studies have described that women are more vulnerable to the reinforcing effects of cocaine. In animals, the findings are similar: female rats show higher levels of cocaine self-administration and increased cocaine-induced locomotor activity. In contrast, women with depression respond better to treatment with antidepressants, however their therapeutic response to tetracyclic antidepressants is lower. Several studies have shown that mirtazapine-a tetracyclic antidepressant-decreases the behavioral effects of cocaine in male rats. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of daily dosing of mirtazapine on cocaine-induced locomotor activity and sensitization in naive female rats compared to male rats. METHODS Male and female Wistar rats were daily dosed with 10 mg/kg of cocaine. During extinction, cocaine was withdrawn and the groups received daily mirtazapine (30 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline. Tamoxifen was administered during the antagonism phase. After each administration, locomotor activity for each animal was recorded for 30 min in transparent Plexiglass activity chambers. RESULTS In this study, a higher cocaine locomotor response was found in females than in males and the mirtazapine was equally effective in decreasing cocaine-induced locomotor activity and the expression of locomotor sensitization in male and female rats. In addition, co-administration of mirtazapine and tamoxifen enhanced the efficacy of mirtazapine in female rats. CONCLUSION The results suggest that mirtazapine may be considered an effective therapeutic option for the treatment of cocaine use disorder in men and women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana Barbosa-Méndez
- Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología Conductual, Microcirugía y Terapéutica Experimental, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría, Ciudad de México 14370. Mexico
| | - Katya Lorena Osorio-Santiago
- Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología Conductual, Microcirugía y Terapéutica Experimental, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría, Ciudad de México 14370. Mexico
| | - Alberto Salazar-Juárez
- Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología Conductual, Microcirugía y Terapéutica Experimental, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría, Ciudad de México 14370. Mexico.
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Coffin PO, Santos GM, Hern J, Vittinghoff E, Walker JE, Matheson T, Santos D, Colfax G, Batki SL. Effects of Mirtazapine for Methamphetamine Use Disorder Among Cisgender Men and Transgender Women Who Have Sex With Men: A Placebo-Controlled Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry 2020; 77:246-255. [PMID: 31825466 PMCID: PMC6990973 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.3655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Methamphetamine use is increasingly prevalent and associated with HIV transmission. A previous phase 2a study of mirtazapine demonstrated reductions in methamphetamine use and sexual risk behaviors among men who have sex with men. OBJECTIVE To determine the efficacy of mirtazapine for treatment of methamphetamine use disorder and reduction in HIV risk behaviors. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This double-blind randomized clinical trial of mirtazapine vs placebo took place from August 2013 to September 2017 in an outpatient research clinic in San Francisco, California. Participants were community-recruited adults who were sexually active; cisgender men, transgender men, and transgender women who (1) had sex with men, (2) had methamphetamine use disorder, and (3) were actively using methamphetamine were eligible. Participants were randomized to receive the study drug or placebo for 24 weeks, with 12 more weeks of follow-up. Data analysis took place from February to June 2018. EXPOSURES Mirtazapine, 30 mg, or matched placebo orally once daily for 24 weeks, with background counseling. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Positive urine test results for methamphetamine over 12, 24, and 36 weeks (primary outcomes) and sexual risk behaviors (secondary outcomes). Sleep, methamphetamine craving, dependence severity, and adverse events were assessed. RESULTS Of 241 persons assessed, 120 were enrolled (5 transgender women and 115 cisgender men). The mean (SD) age was 43.3 (9.8) years; 61 (50.8%) were white, 31 (25.8%) were African American, and 15 (12.5%) were Latinx. A mean (SD) of 66% (47%) of visits were completed overall. By week 12, the rate of methamphetamine-positive urine test results significantly declined among participants randomized to mirtazapine vs placebo (risk ratio [RR], 0.67 [95% CI, 0.51-0.87]). Mirtazapine resulted in reductions in positive urine test results at 24 weeks (RR, 0.75 [95% CI, 0.56-1.00]) and 36 weeks (RR, 0.73 [95% CI, 0.57-0.96]) vs placebo. Mean (SD) medication adherence by WisePill dispenser was 38.5% (27.0%) in the mirtazapine group vs 39.5% (26.2%) in the placebo group (P = .77) over 2 to 12 weeks and 28.1% (23.4%) vs 38.5% (27.0%) (P = .59) over 13 to 24 weeks. Changes in sexual risk behaviors were not significantly different by study arm at 12 weeks, but those assigned to receive mirtazapine had fewer sexual partners (RR, 0.52 [95% CI, 0.27-0.97]; P = .04), fewer episodes of condomless anal sex with partners who were serodiscordant (RR, 0.47 [95% CI, 0.23-0.97]; P = .04), and fewer episodes of condomless receptive anal sex with partners who were serodiscordant (RR, 0.37 [95% CI, 0.14-0.93]; P = .04) at week 24. Participants assigned to mirtazapine had net reductions in depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale score, 6.2 [95% CI, 1.3-11.1] points lower; P = .01) and insomnia severity (Athens score, 1.4 [95% CI, 0.1-2.7] points lower; P = .04) at week 24. There were no serious adverse events associated with the study drug. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this expanded replication trial, adding mirtazapine to substance use counseling reduced methamphetamine use and some HIV risk behaviors among cisgender men and transgender women who have sex with men, with benefits extending after treatment despite suboptimal medication adherence. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01888835.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip O. Coffin
- San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco, California,Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
| | - Glenn-Milo Santos
- San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco, California,School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
| | - Jaclyn Hern
- San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco, California
| | - Eric Vittinghoff
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
| | - John E. Walker
- San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco, California
| | - Tim Matheson
- San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco, California
| | - Deirdre Santos
- San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco, California
| | - Grant Colfax
- San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco, California
| | - Steven L. Batki
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
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Zarkowski PA. Relative prevalence of 10 types of pharmacodynamic interactions in psychiatric treatment. Int J Psychiatry Med 2020; 55:82-104. [PMID: 31470752 DOI: 10.1177/0091217419870669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the relative prevalence and factors affecting the prescription of medication combinations with a theoretical efficacy limiting pharmacodynamic interaction, defined as two medications with opposing indications and side effects or antagonistic action at the primary receptor of mechanism of action. METHOD One hundred sixteen combinations were identified for 10 types of pharmacodynamic interactions. PubMed was searched for each combination to assess the quality of evidence either supporting clinical use or verifying reduced efficacy. Micromedex was searched to determine the presence of warnings to prescribers of reduced efficacy. The prevalence in clinical practice was determined by computer review of the Genoa Healthcare database for all prescribers at 10 participating community mental health centers. The expected prevalence was calculated as the product of the probability of each medication prescribed alone and was compared with the actual prevalence of the combination using the test of proportions. RESULTS The frequency of prescription of eight combinations met the Bonferroni corrected level of significance of p < 0.001. Four were combinations of amphetamine and D2 antagonists and each were prescribed less often than chance, p = 0.0001 consistent with epidemiological studies and multiple animal studies verifying an efficacy limiting interaction. Despite epidemiological studies indicating increased risk of accidents, alprazolam and amphetamine were prescribed more often than chance, p = 0.0001. Micromedex generated warnings for efficacy limiting interactions for five other combinations, but with no subsequent change in prescription frequency. CONCLUSIONS Neither presence of medical evidence nor warnings from Micromedex consistently affect the prescription of combinations with pharmacodynamic efficacy limiting interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A Zarkowski
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Gálosi R, Petykó Z, Kállai V, Tóth A, Ollmann T, Péczely L, Kovács A, Berta B, Lénárd L. Destruction of noradrenergic terminals increases dopamine concentration and reduces dopamine metabolism in the medial prefrontal cortex. Behav Brain Res 2018; 344:57-64. [PMID: 29454007 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2017] [Revised: 02/13/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Effects of destroyed noradrenergic (NE) innervation in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) were examined on dopamine (DA) content and metabolism. Six-hydroxy-DOPA (6-OHDOPA) or 6-hydroxy-dopamine (6-OHDA) in combination with a potent DA reuptake inhibitor GBR 12935 or 6-OHDA were injected bilaterally into the mPFC in separate groups of animals. In addition, GBR 12935 or vehicle was injected into the mPFC in two other groups of animals as control experiments. NE and DA concentrations from postmortem tissue of the mPFC were measured using HPLC with electrochemical detection. In addition, extracellular NE, DA and DOPAC levels were determined using in vivo microdialysis after the 6-OHDA lesion in combination with GBR 12935 pretreatment in the mPFC. Using reverse microdialysis of alpha-2-adrenoreceptor antagonist yohimbine, we tested the remaining activity of NE innervation and the extracellular concentration of DA and DOPAC. NE and DA concentrations from postmortem tissue of the mPFC showed that 6-OHDOPA lesion reduced NE concentration to 76%, which was a non-significant alteration, however it enhanced significantly DA concentration to 186% compared to vehicle. After 6-OHDA lesion with GBR 12935 pretreatment, concentration of NE significantly decreased to 51% and DA level increased to 180%. 6-OHDA lesion without GBR 12635 pretreatment decreased NE concentration to 23% and DA concentration to 67%. In the microdialysis experiment, after 6-OHDA lesion with GBR 12935 pretreatment, extracellular NE levels were not detectable, whereas extracellular DA levels were increased and DOPAC levels were decreased compared to controls. Reverse microdialysis of yohimbine demonstrated that the residual NE innervation was able to increase NE level and DA levels, but DOPAC concentration remained low after lesion of the NE terminals. These findings suggest that the damage of NE innervation in the mPFC may alter extracellular DA level due to a reduced DA clearance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Gálosi
- Institute of Physiology, University of Pécs Medical School, Pécs, Hungary.
| | - Zoltán Petykó
- Institute of Physiology, University of Pécs Medical School, Pécs, Hungary; Molecular Neuroendocrinology Research Group, University of Pécs, Szentágothai Research Center, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Veronika Kállai
- Institute of Physiology, University of Pécs Medical School, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Attila Tóth
- Institute of Physiology, University of Pécs Medical School, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Tamás Ollmann
- Institute of Physiology, University of Pécs Medical School, Pécs, Hungary
| | - László Péczely
- Institute of Physiology, University of Pécs Medical School, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Anita Kovács
- Institute of Physiology, University of Pécs Medical School, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Beáta Berta
- Institute of Physiology, University of Pécs Medical School, Pécs, Hungary
| | - László Lénárd
- Institute of Physiology, University of Pécs Medical School, Pécs, Hungary; Molecular Neuroendocrinology Research Group, University of Pécs, Szentágothai Research Center, Pécs, Hungary
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Perez-Palomar B, Mollinedo-Gajate I, Berrocoso E, Meana JJ, Ortega JE. Serotonin 5-HT 3 receptor antagonism potentiates the antidepressant activity of citalopram. Neuropharmacology 2018; 133:491-502. [PMID: 29477299 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2017] [Revised: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Activation of serotonin 5-HT3 receptor (5HT3R) in the locus coeruleus (LC), the principal somatodendritic noradrenergic area, decreases LC firing activity and noradrenaline (NA) release in prefrontal cortex (PFC). Blockade of 5HT3R in coadministration with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) has been proposed as a potential strategy to accelerate the onset of action of SSRIs. Dual-probe microdialysis in rats was used to evaluate the involvement of 5HT3R in the in vivo effect exerted by the SSRI citalopram on NA release. Besides, forced swimming test (FST) was carried out in mice to evaluate the antidepressant-like effect of citalopram in combination with a 5HT3R antagonist (Y25130). Systemic administration of the 5HT3R agonist SR57227 (10 mg/kg i.p.) increased NA in LC (Emax = 200 ± 27%) and PFC (Emax = 133 ± 2%). The increase in PFC was enhanced in local presence into LC of Y25130 (50 μM) (Emax = 296 ± 41%) suggesting an inhibitory function on NA release exerted by the activation of 5HT3R located in somatodendritic areas. Citalopram administration (10 mg/kg i.p.) increased NA in LC (Emax = 185 ± 11%) and decreased it in PFC (Emax = -35 ± 7%). Intra-LC (50 μM) or systemic co-administration of Y25130 (10 mg/kg i.p.) with citalopram (10 mg/kg i.p.) switched NA release in the PFC from an inhibition to a stimulatory effect. In mice FST, systemic coadministration of citalopram (2.5 mg/kg i.p.) and Y25130 (10 mg/kg i.p.) potentiated the decrease of immobility time through the increase of both swimming and climbing behaviours. These results suggest that the addition of a 5HT3R antagonist to SSRIs could represent a feasible strategy to improve antidepressant response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blanca Perez-Palomar
- Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Spain
| | - Irene Mollinedo-Gajate
- Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Spain
| | - Esther Berrocoso
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Spain; Neuropsychopharmacology and Psychobiology Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain
| | - J Javier Meana
- Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Spain; Biocruces Health Research Institute, Spain
| | - Jorge E Ortega
- Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Spain; Biocruces Health Research Institute, Spain.
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15
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Ikeda Y, Funayama T, Tateno A, Fukayama H, Okubo Y, Suzuki H. Modafinil enhances alerting-related brain activity in attention networks. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:2077-2089. [PMID: 28374089 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4614-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Modafinil is a wake-promoting agent and has been reported to be effective in improving attention in patients with attentional disturbance. However, neural substrates underlying the modafinil effects on attention are not fully understood. OBJECTIVES We employed a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study with the attention network test (ANT) task in healthy adults and examined which networks of attention are mainly affected by modafinil and which neural substrates are responsible for the drug effects. METHODS We used a randomized placebo-controlled within-subjects cross-over design. Twenty-three healthy adults participated in two series of an fMRI study, taking either a placebo or modafinil. The participants performed the ANT task, which is designed to measure three distinct attentional networks, alerting, orienting, and executive control, during the fMRI scanning. The effects of modafinil on behavioral performance and regional brain activity were analyzed. RESULTS We found that modafinil enhanced alerting performance and showed greater alerting network activity in the left middle and inferior occipital gyri as compared with the placebo. The brain activations in the occipital regions were positively correlated with alerting performance. CONCLUSIONS Modafinil enhanced alerting performance and increased activation in the occipital lobe in the alerting network possibly relevant to noradrenergic activity during the ANT task. The present study may provide a rationale for the treatment of patients with distinct symptoms of impaired attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumiko Ikeda
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8602, Japan
| | - Takuya Funayama
- Anesthesiology and Clinical Physiology, Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8549, Japan
| | - Amane Tateno
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8602, Japan
| | - Haruhisa Fukayama
- Anesthesiology and Clinical Physiology, Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8549, Japan
| | - Yoshiro Okubo
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8602, Japan
| | - Hidenori Suzuki
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8602, Japan.
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16
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Brodnik ZD, Double M, España RA, Jaskiw GE. L-Tyrosine availability affects basal and stimulated catecholamine indices in prefrontal cortex and striatum of the rat. Neuropharmacology 2017; 123:159-174. [PMID: 28571714 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.05.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Revised: 05/22/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
We previously found that L-tyrosine (L-TYR) but not D-TYR administered by reverse dialysis elevated catecholamine synthesis in vivo in medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and striatum of the rat (Brodnik et al., 2012). We now report L-TYR effects on extracellular levels of catecholamines and their metabolites. In MPFC, reverse dialysis of L-TYR elevated in vivo levels of dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) (L-TYR 250-1000 μM), homovanillic acid (HVA) (L-TYR 1000 μM) and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) (L-TYR 500-1000 μM). In striatum L-TYR 250 μM elevated DOPAC. We also examined L-TYR effects on extracellular dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) levels during two 30 min pulses (P2 and P1) of K+ (37.5 mM) separated by t = 2.0 h. L-TYR significantly elevated the ratio P2/P1 for DA (L-TYR 125 μM) and NE (L-TYR 125-250 μM) in MPFC but lowered P2/P1 for DA (L-TYR 250 μM) in striatum. Finally, we measured DA levels in brain slices using ex-vivo voltammetry. Perfusion with L-TYR (12.5-50 μM) dose-dependently elevated stimulated DA levels in striatum. In all the above studies, D-TYR had no effect. We conclude that acute increases within the physiological range of L-TYR levels can increase catecholamine metabolism and efflux in MPFC and striatum. Chronically, such repeated increases in L-TYR availability could induce adaptive changes in catecholamine transmission while amplifying the metabolic cost of catecholamine synthesis and degradation. This has implications for neuropsychiatric conditions in which neurotoxicity and/or disordered L-TYR transport have been implicated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary D Brodnik
- Drexel University College of Medicine, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, 2900 W. Queen Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19129, United States
| | - Manda Double
- Medical Research Service, Louis Stokes Cleveland DVAMC, 10701 East Blvd., Cleveland, OH 44106, United States
| | - Rodrigo A España
- Drexel University College of Medicine, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, 2900 W. Queen Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19129, United States
| | - George E Jaskiw
- Medical Research Service, Louis Stokes Cleveland DVAMC, 10701 East Blvd., Cleveland, OH 44106, United States; Dept. of Psychiatry, Case Western University Medical Center at W.O. Walker 10524 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44133, United States.
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17
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Ranjan S, Chandra PS, Chaturvedi SK, Prabhu SC, Gupta A. Atypical Antipsychotic–Induced Akathisia with Depression: Therapeutic Role of Mirtazapine. Ann Pharmacother 2016; 40:771-4. [PMID: 16569791 DOI: 10.1345/aph.1g561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: To investigate the efficacy of mirtazapine in treating akathisia caused by risperidone and olanzapine, as well as its use in alleviating comorbid depressive disorder. Case Summaries: Five patients with diagnoses varying from schizophrenia, delusional disorder, and bipolar disorder developed akathisia while on treatment with olanzapine and risperidone. The likelihood that risperidone and olanzapine had induced akathisia in all patients was rated probable according to the Naranjo probability scale. Four of these patients were also found to be depressed. The akathisia was successfully treated with mirtazapine, and 3 of the 4 depressed patients improved with mirtazapine treatment. Use of mirtazapine did not result in any adverse effect. Discussion: Mirtazapine is a potent antagonist of central α2 auto- and hetero-adrenergic receptors, as well as an antagonist of 5-HT2A/2C, 5-HT3, and histaminergic H1 postsynaptic receptors. The efficacy of mirtazapine in treatment of akathisia may result from its antagonist property at the H1 receptors and its dopaminergic activity in frontal cortex. The use of mirtazapine offers advantages over other antiakathisia drugs in its better adverse effect profile, as well as its ability to treat coexisting depression. Conclusions: Mirtazapine is efficacious in treating atypical antipsychotic–induced akathisia. It may be a good option, particularly in patients with coexisting depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjeev Ranjan
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India.
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18
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Arora S, Vohora D. Comparative Evaluation of Partial α2 -Adrenoceptor Agonist and Pure α2 -Adrenoceptor Antagonist on the Behavioural Symptoms of Withdrawal after Chronic Alcohol Administration in Mice. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol 2016; 119:202-9. [PMID: 26867012 DOI: 10.1111/bcpt.12566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2015] [Accepted: 01/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
As an addictive drug, alcohol produces withdrawal symptoms if discontinued abruptly after chronic use. Clonidine (CLN), a partial α2 -adrenergic agonist, and mirtazapine (MRT), an antagonist of α2 -adrenoceptor, both clinically aid alcohol withdrawal. Considering different mechanisms of action of the two drugs, this study was designed to see how far these two mechanistically different drugs differ in their ability to decrease the severity of ethanol withdrawal syndrome. The effect of CLN and MRT on ethanol withdrawal-induced anxiety, depression and memory impairment was analysed using EPM, FST and PAR tests, respectively. Animals received distilled water, ethanol and/or either of the drugs (CLN and MRT) in different doses. Relapse to alcohol use was analysed by CPP test. Animals received ethanol as a conditioning drug and distilled water, CLN or MRT as test drug. CLN and MRT both alleviated anxiety in a dose-dependent manner. MRT (4 mg/kg) was more effective than CLN (0.1 mg/kg) in ameliorating the anxiogenic effect of alcohol withdrawal. However, CLN treatment increased depression. It significantly decreased swimming time and increased immobility time, whereas MRT treatment decreased immobility time and increased climbing and swimming time during abstinence. The effect was dose dependent for both drugs. The results of PAR test show that CLN treatment worsens working memory. Significant increase in SDE and TSZ and decrease in SDL were observed in CLN-treated animals. MRT treatment, on the other hand, improved working memory at both doses. Further, both CLN and MRT alleviated craving. A significant decrease in time spent in the ethanol-paired chamber was seen. MRT treatment at both doses showed better effect than CLN in preventing the development of preference in CPP test. These findings indicate a potential therapeutic use and better profile of mirtazapine over clonidine in improving memory, as well as in alleviating depression, anxiety and craving associated with alcohol withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivani Arora
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jamia Hamdard University, New Delhi, India
| | - Divya Vohora
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jamia Hamdard University, New Delhi, India
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19
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Bittolo T, Raminelli CA, Deiana C, Baj G, Vaghi V, Ferrazzo S, Bernareggi A, Tongiorgi E. Pharmacological treatment with mirtazapine rescues cortical atrophy and respiratory deficits in MeCP2 null mice. Sci Rep 2016; 6:19796. [PMID: 26806603 PMCID: PMC4726391 DOI: 10.1038/srep19796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 12/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Loss of MeCP2 (Methyl CpG binding protein 2) in Rett syndrome (RTT) causes brain weight decrease, shrinkage of the cortex with reduced dendritic arborization, behavioral abnormalities, seizures and cardio-respiratory complications. The observed monoamine neurotransmitters reduction in RTT suggested antidepressants as a possible therapy. We treated MeCP2-null mice from postnatal-day 28 for two weeks with desipramine, already tested in RTT, or mirtazapine, an antidepressant with limited side-effects, known to promote GABA release. Mirtazapine was more effective than desipramine in restoring somatosensory cortex thickness by fully rescuing pyramidal neurons dendritic arborization and spine density. Functionally, mirtazapine treatment normalized heart rate, breath rate, anxiety levels, and eliminated the hopping behavior observed in MeCP2-null mice, leading to improved phenotypic score. These morphological and functional effects of mirtazapine were accompanied by reestablishment of the GABAergic and glutamatergic receptor activity recorded in cortex and brainstem tissues. Thus, mirtazapine can represent a new potential pharmacological treatment for the Rett syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Bittolo
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri, 5-34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Carlo Antonio Raminelli
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri, 5-34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Chiara Deiana
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri, 5-34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Gabriele Baj
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri, 5-34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Valentina Vaghi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri, 5-34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Sara Ferrazzo
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri, 5-34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Annalisa Bernareggi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri, 5-34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Enrico Tongiorgi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri, 5-34127 Trieste, Italy
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20
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Di Giovanni G, De Deurwaerdère P. New therapeutic opportunities for 5-HT2C receptor ligands in neuropsychiatric disorders. Pharmacol Ther 2015; 157:125-62. [PMID: 26617215 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2015.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The 5-HT2C receptor (R) displays a widespread distribution in the CNS and is involved in the action of 5-HT in all brain areas. Knowledge of its functional role in the CNS pathophysiology has been impaired for many years due to the lack of drugs capable of discriminating among 5-HT2R subtypes, and to a lesser extent to the 5-HT1B, 5-HT5, 5-HT6 and 5-HT7Rs. The situation has changed since the mid-90s due to the increased availability of new and selective synthesized compounds, the creation of 5-HT2C knock out mice, and the progress made in molecular biology. Many pharmacological classes of drugs including antipsychotics, antidepressants and anxiolytics display affinities toward 5-HT2CRs and new 5-HT2C ligands have been developed for various neuropsychiatric disorders. The 5-HT2CR is presumed to mediate tonic/constitutive and phasic controls on the activity of different central neurobiological networks. Preclinical data illustrate this complexity to a point that pharmaceutical companies developed either agonists or antagonists for the same disease. In order to better comprehend this complexity, this review will briefly describe the molecular pharmacology of 5-HT2CRs, as well as their cellular impacts in general, before addressing its central distribution in the mammalian brain. Thereafter, we review the preclinical efficacy of 5-HT2C ligands in numerous behavioral tests modeling human diseases, highlighting the multiple and competing actions of the 5-HT2CRs in neurobiological networks and monoaminergic systems. Notably, we will focus this evidence in the context of the physiopathology of psychiatric and neurological disorders including Parkinson's disease, levodopa-induced dyskinesia, and epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Di Giovanni
- Department of Physiology & Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta; Neuroscience Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
| | - Philippe De Deurwaerdère
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (Unité Mixte de Recherche 5293) 33076 Bordeaux Cedex, France.
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21
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Vysloužil J, Doležel P, Kejdušová M, Košťál V, Beneš L, Dvořáčková K. Long-term controlled release of PLGA microparticles containing antidepressant mirtazapine. Pharm Dev Technol 2014; 21:214-21. [PMID: 25495857 DOI: 10.3109/10837450.2014.991874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the study was to prepare PLGA microparticles for prolonged release of mirtazapine by o/w solvent evaporation method and to evaluate effects of PVA concentration and organic solvent choice on microparticles characteristics (encapsulation efficiency, drug loading, burst effect, microparticle morphology). Also in vitro drug release tests were performed and the results were correlated with kinetic model equations to approximate drug release mechanism. It was found that dichloromethane provided microparticles with better qualities (encapsulation efficiency 64.2%, yield 79.7%). Interaction between organic solvent effect and effect of PVA concentration was revealed. The prepared samples released the drug for 5 days with kinetics very close to that of zero order (R(2 )= 0.9549 - 0.9816). According to the correlations, the drug was probably released by a combination of diffusion and surface erosion, enhanced by polymer swelling and chain relaxation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Vysloužil
- a Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy , University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno , Palackého, Brno , Czech Republic
| | - Petr Doležel
- a Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy , University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno , Palackého, Brno , Czech Republic
| | - Martina Kejdušová
- a Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy , University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno , Palackého, Brno , Czech Republic
| | | | - Ludvík Beneš
- c Joint Laboratory of Solid State Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technology , University of Pardubice , Studentská, Pardubice , Czech Republic
| | - Kateřina Dvořáčková
- a Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy , University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno , Palackého, Brno , Czech Republic
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22
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de Kwaasteniet BP, Pinto C, Ruhé EHG, van Wingen GA, Booij J, Denys D. Striatal dopamine D2/3 receptor availability in treatment resistant depression. PLoS One 2014; 9:e113612. [PMID: 25411966 PMCID: PMC4239080 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2014] [Accepted: 10/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Several studies demonstrated improvement of depressive symptoms in treatment resistant depression (TRD) after administering dopamine agonists which suggest abnormal dopaminergic neurotransmission in TRD. However, the role of dopaminergic signaling through measurement of striatal dopamine D(2/3) receptor (D2/3R) binding has not been investigated in TRD subjects. We used [(123)I]IBZM single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to investigate striatal D2/3R binding in TRD. We included 6 severe TRD patients, 11 severe TRD patients on antipsychotics (TRD AP group) and 15 matched healthy controls. Results showed no significant difference (p = 0.75) in striatal D2/3R availability was found between TRD patients and healthy controls. In the TRD AP group D2/3R availability was significantly decreased (reflecting occupancy of D2/3Rs by antipsychotics) relative to TRD patients and healthy controls (p<0.001) but there were no differences in clinical symptoms between TRD AP and TRD patients. This preliminary study therefore does not provide evidence for large differences in D2/3 availability in severe TRD patients and suggests this TRD subgroup is not characterized by altered dopaminergic transmission. Atypical antipsychotics appear to have no clinical benefit in severe TRD patients who remain depressed, despite their strong occupancy of D2/3Rs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart P. de Kwaasteniet
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Brain Imaging Center, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Chedwa Pinto
- Department of Psychiatry, MC groep, Lelystad, the Netherlands
| | - Eric H. G. Ruhé
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Brain Imaging Center, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Mood and Anxiety Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Guido A. van Wingen
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Brain Imaging Center, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jan Booij
- Brain Imaging Center, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Damiaan Denys
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Brain Imaging Center, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- The Institute for Neuroscience, an institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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23
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Devoto P, Flore G, Saba P, Bini V, Gessa GL. The dopamine beta-hydroxylase inhibitor nepicastat increases dopamine release and potentiates psychostimulant-induced dopamine release in the prefrontal cortex. Addict Biol 2014; 19:612-22. [PMID: 23289939 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The dopamine-beta-hydroxylase inhibitor nepicastat has been shown to reproduce disulfiram ability to suppress the reinstatement of cocaine seeking after extinction in rats. To clarify its mechanism of action, we examined the effect of nepicastat, given alone or in association with cocaine or amphetamine, on catecholamine release in the medial prefrontal cortex and the nucleus accumbens, two key regions involved in the reinforcing and motivational effects of cocaine and in the reinstatement of cocaine seeking. Nepicastat effect on catecholamines was evaluated by microdialysis in freely moving rats. Nepicastat reduced noradrenaline release both in the medial prefrontal cortex and in the nucleus accumbens, and increased dopamine release in the medial prefrontal cortex but not in the nucleus accumbens. Moreover, nepicastat markedly potentiated cocaine- and amphetamine-induced extracellular dopamine accumulation in the medial prefrontal cortex but not in the nucleus accumbens. Extracellular dopamine accumulation produced by nepicastat alone or by its combination with cocaine or amphetamine was suppressed by the α2 -adrenoceptor agonist clonidine. It is suggested that nepicastat, by suppressing noradrenaline synthesis and release, eliminated the α2 -adrenoceptor mediated inhibitory mechanism that constrains dopamine release and cocaine- and amphetamine-induced dopamine release from noradrenaline or dopamine terminals in the medial prefrontal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Devoto
- Department of Biomedical Sciences; Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology Division; University of Cagliari; Italy
- Center of Excellence ‘Neurobiology of Addiction’; University of Cagliari; Italy
- ‘Guy Everett Laboratory’; University of Cagliari; Italy
| | - Giovanna Flore
- Department of Medical Sciences ‘M. Aresu’; University of Cagliari; Italy
| | - Pierluigi Saba
- Department of Biomedical Sciences; Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology Division; University of Cagliari; Italy
| | - Valentina Bini
- Department of Biomedical Sciences; Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology Division; University of Cagliari; Italy
| | - Gian Luigi Gessa
- Department of Biomedical Sciences; Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology Division; University of Cagliari; Italy
- Center of Excellence ‘Neurobiology of Addiction’; University of Cagliari; Italy
- ‘Guy Everett Laboratory’; University of Cagliari; Italy
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α2-Adrenoceptors are targets for antipsychotic drugs. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2014; 231:801-12. [PMID: 24488407 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-014-3459-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2013] [Accepted: 01/11/2014] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Almost all antipsychotic drugs (APDs), irrespective of whether they belong to the first-generation (e.g. haloperidol) or second-generation (e.g. clozapine), are dopamine D2 receptor antagonists. Second-generation APDs, which differ from first-generation APDs in possessing a lower propensity to induce extrapyramidal side effects, target a variety of monoamine receptors such as serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) receptors (e.g. 5-HT1A, 5-HT2A, 5-HT2C, 5-HT6, 5-HT7) and α1- and α2-adrenoceptors in addition to their antagonist effects at D2 receptors. OBJECTIVE This short review is focussed on the potential role of α2-adrenoceptors in the antipsychotic therapy. RESULTS Schizophrenia is characterised by three categories of symptoms: positive symptoms, negative symptoms and cognitive deficits. α2-Adrenoceptors are classified into three distinct subtypes in mammals, α2A, α2B and α2C. Whereas the α2B-adrenoceptor seems to play only a minor role in the brain, activation of postsynaptic α2A-adrenoceptors in the prefrontal cortex improves cognitive functions. Preclinical models such as D-amphetamine-induced locomotion, the conditioned avoidance response and the pharmacological N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor hypofunction model have shown that α2C-adrenoceptor blockade or the combination of D2 receptor antagonists with idazoxan (α2A/2C-adrenoceptor antagonist) could be useful in schizophrenia. A potential benefit of a treatment combination of first-generation APDs with the α2A/2C-adrenoceptor antagonists idazoxan or mirtazapine was also demonstrated in patients with schizophrenia. CONCLUSIONS It is concluded that α2-adrenoceptors may be promising targets in the antipsychotic therapy.
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Polyunsaturated fatty acid associations with dopaminergic indices in major depressive disorder. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2014; 17:383-91. [PMID: 24300434 PMCID: PMC3956108 DOI: 10.1017/s1461145713001399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Dopaminergic function is thought to be altered in major depression and, in animal studies, is reduced in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) deficiency states. Therefore we studied PUFAs and resting prolactin, a marker for dopaminergic tone, and cerebrospinal fluid homovanillic acid (HVA), the chief dopamine metabolite. In medication-free adults (n = 23) with DSM-IV major depressive disorder (MDD), we measured plasma phospholipid levels of omega-3 PUFAs docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), the omega-6 PUFA arachidonic acid (AA), and plasma prolactin levels before and after administration of dl-fenfluramine (FEN). In a subset of patients (n = 14), cerebrospinal fluid levels of HVA and the serotonin metabolite, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), were obtained through lumbar puncture. Baseline prolactin was negatively correlated with omega-3 PUFAs (logDHA, F(1,21) = 20.380, p < 0.001; logEPA, F(1,21) = 10.051, p = 0.005) and positively correlated with logAA:DHA (F(1,21) = 15.263, p = 0.001), a measure of omega-6/omega-3 balance. LogDHA was negatively correlated with CSF HVA (Spearman's ρ = -0.675, p = 0.008) but not 5-HIAA (Spearman's ρ = -0.143, p = 0.626) after controlling for sex and HVA - 5-HIAA correlation. PUFAs did not predict the magnitude of the FEN-stimulated change in prolactin, considered to be a serotonin effect. The robust relationship of omega-3 PUFAs with dopaminergic but not serotonergic indices suggests that omega-6:omega-3 balance may impact depression pathophysiology through effects on the dopaminergic system.
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Serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), BDNF gene Val66Met polymorphism, or plasma catecholamine metabolites, and response to mirtazapine in Japanese patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). CNS Spectr 2012; 17:155-63. [PMID: 22883353 DOI: 10.1017/s109285291200051x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECT We investigated an association between the polymorphism of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene Val66Met and the response to mirtazapine in Japanese patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). We also examined mirtazapine's effects on the serum BDNF and plasma levels of catecholamine metabolites in these patients. METHODS Eighty-four patients who met the DSM-IV-TR criteria for MDD were treated with only mirtazapine for 4 weeks. The BDNF Val66Met polymorphism was detected by direct sequencing in the region, and serum BDNF levels and plasma levels of catecholamine metabolites were measured by ELISA and HPLC-ECD, respectively. RESULTS Mirtazapine treatment for 4 weeks significantly increased serum BDNF levels in the responders, whereas nonresponders showed significant decreases. No association was found between either of the two genotypes (Val/Val vs. Met-carriers) and the response to mirtazapine at T4 or the serum BDNF levels at T0. Mirtazapine did not alter the plasma levels of homovanillic acid (HVA) or 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG). Discussion The dynamics of serum BDNF levels, but not plasma levels of HVA and MHPG, reflect the response to mirtazapine treatment; the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism in patients with depression is, however, associated with neither a particular response to mirtazapine treatment nor baseline serum BDNF levels. CONCLUSION Serum BDNF levels, but not plasma levels of HVA or MHPG, and BDNF Val66Met polymorphism are related to the mirtazapine response in MDD.
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Graves SM, Rafeyan R, Watts J, Napier TC. Mirtazapine, and mirtazapine-like compounds as possible pharmacotherapy for substance abuse disorders: evidence from the bench and the bedside. Pharmacol Ther 2012; 136:343-53. [PMID: 22960395 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2012.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2012] [Accepted: 08/16/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Understanding substance use disorders (SUDs) and the problems associated with abstinence has grown in recent years. Nonetheless, highly efficacious treatment targeting relapse prevention has remained elusive, and there remains no FDA-approved pharmacotherapy for psychostimulant dependence. Preclinical and clinical investigations assessing the utility of classical antidepressants, which block monoamine reuptake, show mixed and often contradictory results. Mirtazapine (Remeron®) is a unique FDA-approved antidepressant, with negligible affinity for reuptake proteins, indirectly augments monoamine transmission presumably through antagonist activity at multiple receptors including the norepinephrine (NE)(α2), and serotonin (5-HT)(2A/C) receptors. Historically, mirtazapine was also considered to be a 5-HT(2C) antagonist, but recent evidence indicates that mirtazapine is an inverse agonist at this receptor subtype. Suggesting a promising role for mixed-action serotonergic drugs for addiction pharmacotherapy, mirtazapine attenuates psychostimulant-induced behaviors in several rodent models of substance abuse, and antagonizes methamphetamine-induced biochemical and electrophysiological alterations in rats. Preclinical findings are confirmed through published case studies documenting successful outcomes with mirtazapine therapy across a number of SUDs. To date, a large scale clinical trial assessing the utility of mirtazapine in substance abuse pharmacotherapy has yet to be conducted. However, as reviewed here, accumulating preclinical and clinical evidence argues that mirtazapine, or compounds that emulate aspects of its pharmacological profile, may prove useful in helping treat addictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven M Graves
- Center for Compulsive Behavior and Addiction, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
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Yamauchi M, Imanishi T, Koyama T. A combination of mirtazapine and milnacipran augments the extracellular levels of monoamines in the rat brain. Neuropharmacology 2012; 62:2278-87. [PMID: 22342987 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2012.01.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2011] [Revised: 01/26/2012] [Accepted: 01/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Miki Yamauchi
- Pharmaceutical Research Center, Meiji Seika Pharma Co., Ltd., 760 Morooka-cho, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 222-8567, Japan.
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Devoto P, Flore G, Saba P, Cadeddu R, Gessa GL. Disulfiram stimulates dopamine release from noradrenergic terminals and potentiates cocaine-induced dopamine release in the prefrontal cortex. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2012; 219:1153-64. [PMID: 21863234 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-011-2447-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2011] [Accepted: 08/08/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Disulfiram efficacy in treatment of cocaine addiction is attributed to the inhibition of dopamine-β-hydroxylase and reduction in brain noradrenaline (NA)/dopamine (DA) ratio. OBJECTIVES Using microdialysis, we investigated if disulfiram causes DA release from noradrenergic terminals and modifies cocaine-induced DA release. RESULTS Disulfiram reduced extracellular NA in the medial prefrontal (mPF) cortex, occipital cortex, accumbens and caudate nuclei, while it markedly increased DA not only in mPF but also in the occipital cortex, despite its scanty dopaminergic afferences, and modestly increased DA in the accumbens and caudate nuclei, despite their dense dopaminergic innervation. Disulfiram-induced DA accumulation was reversed in both cortices by tetrodotoxin infusion and by systemic administration of the α(2)-adrenoceptor agonist clonidine, but was not modified by the α(2)-adrenoceptor antagonist RS 79948 or the D(2)-like agonist quinpirole. Disulfiram prevented cocaine-induced NA release in the mPF cortex and nucleus accumbens, potentiated cocaine-induced DA release in the mPF cortex but failed to modify cocaine effect in the nucleus accumbens. DA release induced by disulfiram-cocaine combination in the mPF cortex was prevented by clonidine but not by quinpirole. CONCLUSIONS We suggested that disulfiram, by removing NA-mediated inhibitory control on noradrenergic terminals, causes an unrestrained cocaine-induced DA release from those terminals in the mPF cortex. In the accumbens and caudate nuclei, "allogenic" DA concentration might be clouded by DA originated from dopaminergic terminals. The possible role of "allogenic" DA in disulfiram ability to prevent stress-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Devoto
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy.
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Colfax GN, Santos GM, Das M, Santos DM, Matheson T, Gasper J, Shoptaw S, Vittinghoff E. Mirtazapine to reduce methamphetamine use: a randomized controlled trial. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011; 68:1168-75. [PMID: 22065532 DOI: 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT No approved pharmacologic treatments for methamphetamine dependence exist. Methamphetamine use is associated with high morbidity and is a major cofactor in the human immunodeficiency virus epidemic among men who have sex with men (MSM). OBJECTIVE To determine whether mirtazapine would reduce methamphetamine use among MSM who are actively using methamphetamine. DESIGN Double-blind, randomized, controlled, 12-week trial of mirtazapine vs placebo conducted from September 5, 2007, to March 4, 2010. SETTING San Francisco Department of Public Health. PARTICIPANTS Participants were actively using, methamphetamine-dependent, sexually active MSM seen weekly for urine sample collection and substance use counseling. INTERVENTIONS Random assignment to daily oral mirtazapine (30 mg) or placebo; both arms included 30-minute weekly substance use counseling. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary study outcome was reduction in methamphetamine-positive urine test results. Secondary outcomes were study medication adherence (by self-report and medication event monitoring systems) and sexual risk behavior. RESULTS Sixty MSM were randomized, 85% of follow-up visits were completed, and 56 participants (93%) completed the final visit. In the primary intent-to-treat analysis, participants assigned to the mirtazapine group had fewer methamphetamine-positive urine test results compared with participants assigned to the placebo group (relative risk, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.35-0.93, P = .02). Urine positivity decreased from 67% (20 of 30 participants) to 63% (17 of 27) in the placebo arm and from 73% (22 of 30) to 44% (12 of 27) in the mirtazapine arm. The number needed to treat to achieve a negative weekly urine test result was 3.1. Adherence was 48.5% by medication event monitoring systems and 74.7% by self-report; adherence measures were not significantly different between arms (medication event monitoring systems, P = .82; self-report, P = .92). Most sexual risk behaviors decreased significantly more among participants taking mirtazapine compared with those taking placebo (number of male partners with whom methamphetamine was used, P = .009; number of male partners, P = .04; episodes of anal sex with serodiscordant partners, P = .003; episodes of unprotected anal sex with serodiscordant partners, P = .003; episodes of insertive anal sex with serodiscordant partners, P = .001). There were no serious adverse events related to study drug or significant differences in adverse events by arm (P ≥ .99). CONCLUSION The addition of mirtazapine to substance use counseling decreased methamphetamine use among active users and was associated with decreases in sexual risk despite low to moderate medication adherence. Trial Registration clinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT00497081.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant N Colfax
- San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco, CA 94102, USA.
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Phan SV, Kreys TJM. Adjunct Mirtazapine for Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia. Pharmacotherapy 2011; 31:1017-30. [DOI: 10.1592/phco.31.10.1017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Brain activation predicts treatment improvement in patients with major depressive disorder. J Psychiatr Res 2011; 45:1214-22. [PMID: 21477817 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2011.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2010] [Revised: 02/28/2011] [Accepted: 03/08/2011] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with alterations in brain function that might be useful for therapy evaluation. The current study aimed to identify predictors for therapy improvement and to track functional brain changes during therapy. Twenty-one drug-free patients with MDD underwent functional MRI twice during performance of an emotional perception task: once before and once after 4 weeks of antidepressant treatment (mirtazapine or venlafaxine). Twelve healthy controls were investigated once with the same methods. A significant difference between groups was a relative greater activation of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) in the patients vs. controls. Before treatment, patients responding better to pharmacological treatment showed greater activation in the dorsomedial PFC (dmPFC), posterior cingulate cortex (pCC) and superior frontal gyrus (SFG) when viewing of negative emotional pictures was compared with the resting condition. Activations in the caudate nucleus and insula contrasted for emotional compared to neutral stimuli were also associated with successful treatment. Responders had also significantly higher levels of activation, compared to non-responders, in a range of other brain regions. Brain activation related to treatment success might be related to altered self-referential processes and a differential response to external emotional stimuli, suggesting differences in the processing of emotionally salient stimuli between those who are likely to respond to pharmacological treatment and those who will not. The present investigation suggests the pCC, dmPFC, SFG, caudate nucleus and insula may have a key role as a biological marker for treatment response and predictor for therapeutic success.
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Benjamin S, Doraiswamy PM. Review of the use of mirtazapine in the treatment of depression. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2011; 12:1623-32. [DOI: 10.1517/14656566.2011.585459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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Morita M, Nakayama K. Mirtazapine in combination with perospirone synergistically enhances dopamine release in the rat prefrontal cortex via 5-HT1A receptor activation. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2011; 65:246-53. [PMID: 21507131 DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1819.2011.02191.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
AIMS The purpose of this study was to elucidate the mechanism underlying the clinical efficacy of mirtazapine-perospirone combination therapy for treatment-resistant depression in a rat model. METHODS We studied the effect of combination therapy of the noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant mirtazapine and the serotonin-dopamine antagonist perospirone on serotonin (5-HT) and dopamine release in the rat medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) by using microdialysis. Male Wistar rats (250-330 g bodyweight) underwent implantation of a guide cannula in the mPFC, and a microdialysis probe was then inserted into the guide cannula to ensure its final placement in the mPFC. Microdialysis and subsequent chromatographic analysis were performed to estimate the extracellular 5-HT and dopamine concentrations. RESULTS When they were used individually, perospirone (0.25 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) and mirtazapine (4 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) induced increased dopamine release up to 134% and 190% relative to the pretreatment level, respectively. Their combination therapy synergistically and significantly (P < 0.0001) increased the dopamine concentration up to 397% of the pretreatment level compared with that induced by the individual drugs. This combination-induced dopamine release was attenuated by 5-HT(1A) antagonist WAY 100635 (0.5 mg/kg, intraperitoneally), to a peak dopamine release of 151%. Extracellular 5-HT release in the mPFC was not altered in any of the treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS The large increase in the dopamine concentration in the rat mPFC after the combination therapy was unique and may be responsible for the profound antidepressive effect observed in patients with treatment-resistant depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiaki Morita
- Department of Psychiatry, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
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Atmaca M, Korkmaz S, Topuz M, Mermi O. Mirtazapine augmentation for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor-induced sexual dysfunction: a retropective investigation. Psychiatry Investig 2011; 8:55-7. [PMID: 21519537 PMCID: PMC3079186 DOI: 10.4306/pi.2011.8.1.55] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2010] [Revised: 10/11/2010] [Accepted: 10/20/2010] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to retrospectively identify sexual dysfunction changes in the patients under mirtazapine-augmented serotonin reuptake inhibito (SSRI) treatment. The study comprised medical records of 20 outpatients, under mirtazapine-augmented SSRI treatment for their major depressive disorder, who had been selected among the patients that had developed sexual dysfunction to previous treatment as monotherapy, with SSRI for at least six weeks. These drugs were maintained and mirtazapine were added (15-45 mg/day). There was a significant difference in scores between baseline and week 4 or week 8 on the both Hamilton Depression Rating and Arizona Sexual Experience Scale. According to Clinical Global Impression-Improvement, 68.4% of the patients were responders. The use of low-dose mirtazapine as an add-on treatment to SSRIs appears to be an effective and well-tolerated augmenttaion for sexual dysfunction caused by SSRIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murad Atmaca
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Firat University, Elazig, Turkey
| | - Sevda Korkmaz
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Firat University, Elazig, Turkey
| | - Mehtap Topuz
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Firat University, Elazig, Turkey
| | - Osman Mermi
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Firat University, Elazig, Turkey
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Effects of chronic antidepressant drug administration and electroconvulsive shock on activity of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmentum. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2011; 14:201-10. [PMID: 20482941 PMCID: PMC3032823 DOI: 10.1017/s1461145710000489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing attention is now focused on reduced dopaminergic neurotransmission in the forebrain as participating in depression. The present paper assessed whether effective antidepressant (AD) treatments might counteract, or compensate for, such a change by altering the neuronal activity of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA-DA neurons), the cell bodies of the mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic system. Eight AD drugs or vehicle were administered to rats for 14 d via subcutaneously implanted minipumps, at which time single-unit electrophysiological activity of VTA-DA neurons was recorded under anaesthesia. Further, animals received a series of five electroconvulsive shocks (ECS) or control procedures, after which VTA-DA activity was measured either 3 d or 5 d after the last ECS. Results showed that the chronic administration of all AD drugs tested except for the monoamine oxidase inhibitor increased the spontaneous firing rate of VTA-DA neurons, while effects on 'burst' firing activity were found to be considerably less notable or consistent. ECS increased both spontaneous firing rate and burst firing of VTA-DA neurons. It is suggested that the effects observed are consistent with reports of increased dopamine release in regions to which VTA neurons project after effective AD treatment. However, it is further suggested that changes in VTA-DA neuronal activity in response to AD treatment should be most appropriately assessed under conditions associated with depression, such as stressful conditions.
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Hache G, Coudore F, Gardier AM, Guiard BP. Monoaminergic Antidepressants in the Relief of Pain: Potential Therapeutic Utility of Triple Reuptake Inhibitors (TRIs). Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2011. [PMCID: PMC4053958 DOI: 10.3390/ph4020285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Over 75% of depressed patients suffer from painful symptoms predicting a greater severity and a less favorable outcome of depression. Imaging, anatomical and functional studies have demonstrated the existence of common brain structures, neuronal pathways and neurotransmitters in depression and pain. In particular, the ascending serotonergic and noradrenergic pathways originating from the raphe nuclei and the locus coeruleus; respectively, send projections to the limbic system. Such pathways control many of the psychological functions that are disturbed in depression and in the perception of pain. On the other hand, the descending pathways, from monoaminergic nuclei to the spinal cord, are specifically implicated in the inhibition of nociception providing rationale for the use of serotonin (5-HT) and/or norepinephrine (NE) reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs, NRIs, SNRIs), in the relief of pain. Compelling evidence suggests that dopamine (DA) is also involved in the pathophysiology and treatment of depression. Indeed, recent insights have demonstrated a central role for DA in analgesia through an action at both the spinal and suprasinal levels including brain regions such as the periaqueductal grey (PAG), the thalamus, the basal ganglia and the limbic system. In this context, dopaminergic antidepressants (i.e., containing dopaminergic activity), such as bupropion, nomifensine and more recently triple reuptake inhibitors (TRIs), might represent new promising therapeutic tools in the treatment of painful symptoms with depression. Nevertheless, whether the addition of the dopaminergic component produces more robust effects than single- or dual-acting agents, has yet to be demonstrated. This article reviews the main pathways regulating pain transmission in relation with the monoaminergic systems. It then focuses on the current knowledge regarding the in vivo pharmacological properties and mechanism of action of monoaminergic antidepressants including SSRIs, NRIs, SNRIs and TRIs. Finally, a synthesis of the preclinical studies supporting the efficacy of these antidepressants in analgesia is also addressed in order to highlight the relative contribution of 5-HT, NE and DA to nociception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Hache
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: ; Tel.: 011-331-46-83-53-61
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The Constitutive Activity of 5-HT2C Receptors as an Additional Modality of Interaction of the Serotonergic System. 5-HT2C RECEPTORS IN THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF CNS DISEASE 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-60761-941-3_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
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Yamamura S, Abe M, Nakagawa M, Ochi S, Ueno SI, Okada M. Different actions for acute and chronic administration of mirtazapine on serotonergic transmission associated with raphe nuclei and their innervation cortical regions. Neuropharmacology 2010; 60:550-60. [PMID: 21195096 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2010.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2010] [Revised: 12/14/2010] [Accepted: 12/20/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The atypical antidepressant, mirtazapine enhances noradrenergic transmission, but its effects on serotonergic transmission remain to be clarified. The present study determined the effects of acute and chronic administration of mirtazapine on serotonergic transmissions in raphe nuclei and their innervation regions, frontal and entorhinal cortex, using multiple-probes microdialysis with real-time PCR and western blotting. Acute administration of mirtazapine did not affect extracellular serotonin level in raphe nuclei or cortex; however, chronic administration increased extracellular serotonin level in raphe nuclei without affecting that in cortex. Blockade of 5-HT1A receptor, but not that of the 5-HT2A/2C receptor, enhanced the effects of acute administration of mirtazapine on extracellular serotonin level in raphe nuclei. Chronic mirtazapine administration reduced the inhibitory function associated with somatodendritic 5-HT1A receptor in raphe nuclei, but enhanced postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptor in serotonergic innervated cortical regions. Chronic administration reduced the expression of mRNA and protein of serotonin transporter and 5-HT1A receptor in raphe nuclei, but not in the cortices. These results suggested that acute administration of mirtazapine probably activated serotonergic transmission, but its stimulatory action was abolished by activated inhibitory 5-HT1A receptor. Chronic administration of mirtazapine resulted in increased extracellular serotonin level via reduction of serotonin transporter with reduction of somatodendritic 5-HT1A autoreceptor function in raphe nuclei. These pharmacological actions of mirtazapine include its serotonergic profiles as noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant (NaSSA).
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Yamamura
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Neuroscience, Mie University, Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Mie, Japan
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Lavergne F, Jay TM. A new strategy for antidepressant prescription. Front Neurosci 2010; 4:192. [PMID: 21151361 PMCID: PMC2995552 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2010.00192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2010] [Accepted: 11/01/2010] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
From our research and literature search we propose an understanding of the mechanism of action of antidepressants treatments (ADTs) that should lead to increase efficacy and tolerance. We understand that ADTs promote synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis. This promotion is linked with stimulation of dopaminergic receptors. Previous evidence shows that all ADTs (chemical, electroconvulsive therapy, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, sleep deprivation) increase at least one monoamine neurotransmitter serotonin (5-HT), noradrenaline (NA) or dopamine (DA); this article focuses on DA release or turn-over in the frontal cortex. DA increased dopaminergic activation promotes synaptic plasticity with an inverted U shape dose–response curve. Specific interaction between DA and glutamate is mediated by D1 receptor subtypes and Glutamate (NMDA) receptors with neurotrophic factors likely to play a modulatory role. With the understanding that all ADTs have a common, final, DA-ergic stimulation that promotes synaptic plasticity we can predict that (1) AD efficiency is related to the compound strength for inducing DA-ergic stimulation. (2) ADT efficiency presents a therapeutic window that coincides with the inverted U shape DA response curve. (3) ADT delay of action is related to a “synaptogenesis and neurogenesis delay of action.” (4) The minimum efficient dose can be found by starting at a low dosage and increasing up to the patient response. (5) An increased tolerance requires a concomitant prescription of a few ADTs, with different or opposite adverse effects, at a very low dose. (6) ADTs could improve all diseases with cognitive impairments and synaptic depression by increasing synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis Lavergne
- Physiopathologie des Maladies Psychiatriques, Centre de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, INSERM U894, Centre Hospitalier Sainte-Anne Paris, France
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Abstract
Mirtazapine, a commonly used antidepressant, has a relatively safe side effect profile and is commonly used in the elderly for treatment of depression. It has been proposed as being particularly suitable for patients with depression associated with insomnia and weight loss. Although mental status changes and perceptual abnormalities secondary to its use are rare, special care needs to be taken, especially while starting treatment or while increasing the dose. We report three cases of auditory, musical and visual hallucinations associated with the use of mirtazapine.
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Devoto P, Flore G. On the origin of cortical dopamine: is it a co-transmitter in noradrenergic neurons? Curr Neuropharmacol 2010; 4:115-25. [PMID: 18615131 DOI: 10.2174/157015906776359559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2005] [Revised: 10/04/2005] [Accepted: 12/30/2005] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Dopamine (DA) and noradrenaline (NA) in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) modulate superior cognitive functions, and are involved in the aetiology of depressive and psychotic symptoms. Moreover, microdialysis studies in rats have shown how pharmacological treatments that induce modifications of extracellular NA in the medial PFC (mPFC), also produce parallel changes in extracellular DA.To explain the coupling of NA and DA changes, this article reviews the evidence supporting the hypothesis that extracellular DA in the cerebral cortex originates not only from dopaminergic terminals but also from noradrenergic ones, where it acts both as precursor for NA and as a co-transmitter.Accordingly, extracellular DA concentration in the occipital, parietal and cerebellar cortex was found to be much higher than expected in view of the scarce dopaminergic innervation in these areas.Systemic administration or intra-cortical perfusion of alpha(2)-adrenoceptor agonists and antagonists, consistent with their action on noradrenergic neuronal activity, produced concomitant changes not only in extracellular NA but also in DA in the mPFC, occipital and parietal cortex.Chemical modulation of the locus coeruleus by locally applied carbachol, kainate, NMDA or clonidine modified both NA and DA in the mPFC.Electrical stimulation of the locus coeruleus led to an increased efflux of both NA and DA in mPFC, parietal and occipital cortex, while in the striatum, NA efflux alone was enhanced.Atypical antipsychotics, such as clozapine and olanzapine, or antidepressants, including mirtazapine and mianserine, have been found to increase both NA and DA throughout the cerebral cortex, likely through blockade of alpha(2)-adrenoceptors. On the other hand, drugs selectively acting on dopaminergic transmission produced modest changes in extracellular DA in mPFC, and had no effect on the occipital or parietal cortex.Acute administration of morphine did not increase DA levels in the PFC (where NA is diminished), in contrast with augmented dopaminergic neuronal activity; moreover, during morphine withdrawal both DA and NA levels increased, in spite of a diminished dopaminergic activity, both increases being antagonised by clonidine but not quinpirole administration.Extensive 6-hydroxy dopamine lesion of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) decreases below 95% of control both intra- and extracellular DA and DOPAC in the nucleus accumbens, but only partially or not significantly in the mPFC and parietal cortex.The above evidence points to a common origin for NA and DA in the cerebral cortex and suggests the possible utility of noradrenergic system modulation as a target for drugs with potential clinical efficacy on cognitive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Devoto
- "B.B. Brodie" Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
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Abstract
Antidepressant drugs represent one of the main forms of effective treatment for the amelioration of depressive symptoms. Most available antidepressants increase extracellular levels of monoamines. However, it is now recognized that monoamine levels and availability are only part of the story, and that antidepressants whose mechanism of action is mainly based on the modulation of monoaminergic systems may not be able to satisfy the unmet needs of depression. Therefore, a number of compounds, developed for their potential antidepressant activity, are endowed with putative mechanisms of action not affecting traditional monoamine targets. This article briefly reviews, within a mechanistic perspective, the pharmacological profiles of representative antidepressants from each class, including monoamine oxidase inhibitors, tricyclics, norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, norepinephrine and serotonin reuptake inhibitors, antidepressants interacting with dopaminergic, melatonergic, glutamatergic, or neuropeptide systems. The undesirable side effects of currently used antidepressants, which can often be a reason for lack of compliance, are also considered.
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Jupp B, Lawrence AJ. New horizons for therapeutics in drug and alcohol abuse. Pharmacol Ther 2010; 125:138-68. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2009.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2009] [Accepted: 11/03/2009] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Kang L, Wang D, Li B, Hu M, Zhang P, Li J. Mirtazapine, a Noradrenergic and Specific Serotonergic Antidepressant, Attenuates Morphine Dependence and Withdrawal in Sprague-Dawley Rats. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE 2009; 34:541-52. [DOI: 10.1080/00952990802183921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Discriminative stimulus properties of the atypical antidepressant, mirtazapine, in rats: a pharmacological characterization. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2009; 203:329-41. [PMID: 18709360 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-008-1259-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2008] [Accepted: 07/08/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Though interoceptive properties of antidepressants have been described, discriminative stimulus (DS) properties of mirtazapine, which does not affect monoamine reuptake, remain uncharacterized. OBJECTIVES The objectives of the study are to train rats to recognize a mirtazapine DS, then perform substitution studies with other antidepressants and drugs acting at sites occupied by mirtazapine. MATERIALS AND METHODS Using a two-lever, fixed-ratio 10 schedule, rats were trained to discriminate mirtazapine (2.5 mg/kg, i.p.) from saline. RESULTS Sessions, 63 +/- 8, were necessary to reach the criterion for 14 rats that all subsequently recognized (100%) mirtazapine at the training dose. Mirtazapine blocks serotonin (5-HT)(2C) receptors, and the 5-HT(2C) antagonists, SB242,084, SB243,213 and S32006, revealed dose-dependent and full (> or =80%) substitution at doses of 2.5, 2.5, and 0.63 mg/kg, respectively. By contrast, the 5-HT(2A) antagonists, MDL100,907 and SR46349-B, the 5-HT(2B) antagonist, SB204,741, and the 5-HT(3) antagonist, ondansetron, showed no significant substitution. Though mirtazapine indirectly recruits 5-HT(1A) receptors, the 5-HT(1A) agonists, buspirone and 8-OH-DPAT, did not substitute. Mirtazapine blocks alpha(2)-adrenoceptors, but several alpha(2)-adrenoceptor antagonists (yohimbine, RX821,002 and atipamezole) failed to substitute. Despite blockade by mirtazapine of histamine H(1) receptors, no substitution was seen with the selective H(1) antagonist, pyrilamine. Finally, the selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor, reboxetine (0.16), fully substituted for mirtazapine, whereas the 5-HT/noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors, duloxetine and S33005, several 5-HT reuptake inhibitors (citalopram, fluvoxamine, and paroxetine) and the dopamine reuptake inhibitors, bupropion and GBR12,935, did not substitute. CONCLUSION Mirtazapine elicits a DS in rats for which selective antagonists at 5-HT(2C) receptors display dose-dependent substitution, whereas drugs acting at other sites recognized by mirtazapine are ineffective.
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Sex differences in corticolimbic dopamine and serotonin systems in the rat and the effect of postnatal handling. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2009; 33:251-61. [PMID: 19100810 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2008.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2008] [Revised: 11/19/2008] [Accepted: 11/20/2008] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Stress-related psychopathology is particularly prevalent in women, although the neurobiological reason(s) for this are unclear. Dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) systems however, are known to play important adaptive roles in stress and emotion regulation. The aims of the present study included examination of sex differences in stress-related behaviour and neuroendocrine function as well as post mortem neurochemistry, with the main hypothesis that corticolimbic DA and 5-HT systems would show greater functional activity in males than females. Long-Evans rats of both sexes were employed. Additional factors incorporated included differential postnatal experience (handled vs. nonhandled) and adult mild stress experience (acute vs. repeated (5) restraint). Regional neurochemistry measures were conducted separately for left and right hemispheres. Behaviourally, females showed more exploratory behaviour than males in the elevated plus maze and an openfield/holeboard apparatus. Females also exhibited significantly higher levels of adrenocorticotrophic hormone and corticosterone at all time points in response to restraint stress than males across treatment conditions, although both sexes showed similar habituation in stress-induced ACTH activation with repeated mild stress. Neurochemically, females had significantly higher levels of DA (in ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), insular cortex and n. accumbens) and 5-HT (in vmPFC, amygdala, dorsal hippocampus and insula) than males. In contrast, males had higher levels of the DA metabolite DOPAC or DOPAC/DA ratios than females in all five regions and higher levels of the 5-HT metabolite 5-HIAA or 5-HIAA/5-HT ratios in vmPFC, amygdala and insula, suggesting greater neurotransmitter utilization in males. Moreover, handling treatment induced a significant male-specific upregulation of 5-HT metabolism in all regions except n. accumbens. Given the adaptive role of 5-HT and DAergic neurotransmission in stress and emotion regulation, the intrinsic sex differences we report in the functional status of these systems across conditions, may be highly relevant to the differential vulnerability to disorders of stress and emotion regulation.
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Millan MJ. Dual- and triple-acting agents for treating core and co-morbid symptoms of major depression: novel concepts, new drugs. Neurotherapeutics 2009; 6:53-77. [PMID: 19110199 PMCID: PMC5084256 DOI: 10.1016/j.nurt.2008.10.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The past decade of efforts to find improved treatment for major depression has been dominated by genome-driven programs of rational drug discovery directed toward highly selective ligands for nonmonoaminergic agents. Selective drugs may prove beneficial for specific symptoms, for certain patient subpopulations, or both. However, network analyses of the brain and its dysfunction suggest that agents with multiple and complementary modes of action are more likely to show broad-based efficacy against core and comorbid symptoms of depression. Strategies for improved multitarget exploitation of monoaminergic mechanisms include triple inhibitors of dopamine, serotonin (5-HT) and noradrenaline reuptake, and drugs interfering with feedback actions of monoamines at inhibitory 5-HT(1A), 5-HT(1B) and possibly 5-HT(5A) and 5-HT(7) receptors. Specific subsets of postsynaptic 5-HT receptors mediating antidepressant actions are under study (e.g., 5-HT(4) and 5-HT(6)). Association of a clinically characterized antidepressant mechanism with a nonmonoaminergic component of activity is an attractive strategy. For example, agomelatine (a melatonin agonist/5-HT(2C) antagonist) has clinically proven activity in major depression. Dual neurokinin(1) antagonists/5-HT reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) and melanocortin(4) antagonists/SRIs should display advantages over their selective counterparts, and histamine H(3) antagonists/SRIs, GABA(B) antagonists/SRIs, glutamatergic/SRIs, and cholinergic agents/SRIs may counter the compromised cognitive function of depression. Finally, drugs that suppress 5-HT reuptake and blunt hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocorticotrophic axis overdrive, or that act at intracellular proteins such as GSK-3beta, may abrogate the negative effects of chronic stress on mood and neuronal integrity. This review discusses the discovery and development of dual- and triple-acting antidepressants, focusing on novel concepts and new drugs disclosed over the last 2 to 3 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark J Millan
- Psychopharmacology Department, Institut du Recherches Servier, Centre de Recherches de Croissy, Paris, France.
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Smith DF, Hansen SB, Jakobsen S, Bender D, Audrain H, Ashkanian M, Stork BS, Minuzzi L, Hall H, Rosenberg R. Neuroimaging of mirtazapine enantiomers in humans. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2008; 200:273-9. [PMID: 18566802 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-008-1208-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2008] [Accepted: 05/12/2008] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Mirtazapine is a racemic antidepressant with a multireceptor profile. Previous studies have shown that the enantiomers of mirtazapine have different pharmacologic effects in the brain of laboratory animals. MATERIALS AND METHODS In the present study, we used positron emission tomography (PET) and autoradiography to study effects of (R)- and (S)-[(11)C]mirtazapine in the human brain. Detailed brain imaging by PET using three methods of kinetic data analysis showed no reliable differences between regional binding potentials of (R)- and (S)-[(11)C]mirtazapine in healthy subjects. RESULTS Autoradiographic studies carried out in whole hemispheres of human brain tissue showed, however, that (R)- and (S)-mirtazapine differ markedly as inhibitors of [(3)H]clonidine binding at alpha(2)-adrenoceptors. CONCLUSION The multireceptor binding profiles of mirtazapine enantiomers, along with individual differences between subjects, may preclude PET neuroimaging from demonstrating reliable differences between the regional distribution and binding of (R)- and (S)-[(11)C]mirtazapine in the living human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald F Smith
- Center for Psychiatric Research, Psychiatric Hospital of Aarhus University, 8240, Risskov, Denmark.
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Guiard BP, El Mansari M, Blier P. Cross-talk between dopaminergic and noradrenergic systems in the rat ventral tegmental area, locus ceruleus, and dorsal hippocampus. Mol Pharmacol 2008; 74:1463-75. [PMID: 18703671 DOI: 10.1124/mol.108.048033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
A decreased central dopaminergic and/or noradrenergic transmission is believed to be involved in the pathophysiology of depression. It is known that dopamine (DA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and norepinephrine (NE) neurons in the locus ceruleus (LC) are autoregulated by somatodendritic D(2)-like and alpha(2)-adrenoceptors, respectively. Complementing these autoreceptor-mediated inhibitory feedbacks, anatomical and functional studies have established a role for noradrenergic inputs in regulating dopaminergic activity, and reciprocally. In the present study, a microiontophoretic approach was used to characterize the postsynaptic catecholamine heteroreceptors involved in such regulations. In the VTA, the application of DA and NE significantly reduced the firing activity of DA neurons. In addition to a role for D(2)-like receptors in the inhibitory effects of both catecholamines, it was demonstrated that the alpha(2)-adrenoceptor antagonist idazoxan dampened the DA- and NE-induced attenuations of DA neuronal activity, indicating that both of these receptors are involved in the responsiveness of VTA DA neurons to catecholamines. In the LC, the effectiveness of iontophoretically applied NE and DA to suppress NE neuronal firing was blocked by idazoxan but not by the D(2)-like receptor antagonist raclopride, which suggested that only alpha(2)-adrenoceptors were involved. In the dorsal hippocampus, a forebrain region having a sparse dopaminergic innervation but receiving a dense noradrenergic input, the suppressant effects of DA and NE on pyramidal neurons were attenuated by idazoxan but not by raclopride. The suppressant effect of DA was prolonged by administration of the selective NE reuptake inhibitor desipramine and, to lesser extent, of the selective DA reuptake inhibitor 1-(2-[bis(4-fluorophenyl)methoxy]ethyl)-4-(3-phenylpropyl)-piperazine (GBR12909), suggesting that both the NE and DA transporters were involved in DA uptake in the hippocampus. These findings might help in designing new antidepressant strategies aimed at enhancing DA and NE neurotransmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno P Guiard
- University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, 1145 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, K1Z 7K4, Ontario, Canada
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