Serotonin transporter gene polymorphisms and platelet [3H] paroxetine binding in premenstrual dysphoria

The purpose of this study was to investigate if women with premenstrual dysphoria differ from controls with respect to the number of platelet serotonin transporters, and with respect to three polymorphisms in the gene coding for the serotonin transporter: a 44 base pair insertion/deletion in the promoter region, a variable number of tandem repeats in the second intron, and a single nucleotide polymorphism in the 3' untranslated region. Also, the possible relationship between the three polymorphisms and platelet serotonin transporter density was analyzed. The density of platelet [(3)H]paroxetine binding sites was significantly lower in women with premenstrual dysphoria than in controls, but patients and controls did not differ with respect to allele or genotype frequency for any of the three polymorphisms examined. A significant association between the number of platelet serotonin transporters and the promoter polymorphism was observed, subjects being homozygous for the short (deletion) variant having higher platelet serotonin transporter density than subjects carrying the long (insertion) allele. The results support the assumption that serotonin-related psychiatric disorders-such as premenstrual dysphoria-may be associated with a reduction in platelet [(3)H]paroxetine binding, but argue against the notion that this reduction is due to certain variants of the serotonin transporter gene being more common in patients than in controls.

[Serotonin uptake inhibitors provide rapid relief from premenstrual dysphoria. New findings shed light on how serotonin modulates sex hormone-related behavior]

Premenstrual dysphoria (PMD) is a severe form of premenstrual syndrome, afflicting 5-10% of all women. The cardinal symptom--surfacing between ovulation and menstruation, and disappearing within a few days after the onset of the bleeding--is irritability. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs), but not non-serotonergic antidepressants, reduce the symptoms of PMD very effectively. Since the, onset of action of SRIs is rapid when used for PMD, medication may be restricted to the luteal phase. The finding that SRIs are effective for PMD lends support for the hypothesis that a major role for brain serotonin is to modulate sex steroid-driven behavior.

Compounds with affinity for serotonergic receptors in the treatment of premenstrual dysphoria: a comparison of buspirone, nefazodone and placebo

RATIONALE

It is well established that serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) are effective for the treatment of premenstrual dysphoria (PMD), but the receptor subtype(s) mediating this effect of serotonin have yet not been identified.

OBJECTIVE

In this trial, the possible efficacy of buspirone, a partial 5HT1A receptor agonist, and nefazodone, a combined SRI and 5HT2 receptor antagonist, was evaluated in women with PMD.

METHODS

After a three-menstrual-cycle screening phase, patients were randomised to buspirone (n=19), nefazodone (n=22) or placebo (n=22). During the first two treatment cycles, patients were taking the drug during the luteal phase only (mean +/- SD daily dose of buspirone: 21 +/- 6 mg; nefazodone: 228 +/- 54 mg). During the subsequent two cycles, the medication was taken each day of the menstrual cycle (mean daily dose of buspirone: 27 +/- 10 mg; nefazodone: 304 +/- 95 mg).

RESULTS

With respect to self-rated global improvement, buspirone (P<0.001) but not nefazodone was significantly superior to placebo. While buspirone appeared to reduce self-rated irritability (visual analogue scale) more effectively than placebo, other self-rated symptoms did not differ markedly between the groups. The side-effects were mild, and sexual dysfunction was not significantly more common in patients given buspirone or nefazodone than in those given placebo.

CONCLUSION

It is suggested that buspirone is mildly effective for premenstrual irritability. In patients experiencing sexual dysfunction when treated with an SRI, buspirone may be a useful alternative.

High doses of testosterone increase anticonflict behaviour in rat

Male rats exposed to high levels of testosterone for 8 weeks, or to one high dose of testosterone 24 h before testing, displayed an increase in punished responding in the Vogel conflict test. The findings may be taken as indirect support for the assumption that the conflict paradigm reflects not only anxiety but also impulsivity.

Citalopram in premenstrual dysphoria: is intermittent treatment during luteal phases more effective than continuous medication throughout the menstrual cycle?

In a double-blind trial, the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor citalopram was administered to women with severe irritability and/or depressed mood in the luteal but not in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle (premenstrual dysphoria). Treatment continued for three consecutive menstrual cycles. One group (N = 17 completers) was administered citalopram continuously at a constant dosage (20+/-10 mg/day) throughout the menstrual cycle. A second group (N = 17) also received citalopram continuously throughout the cycle, but at a lower dosage in the follicular phases (5 mg/day) than in the luteal phases (20+/-10 mg/day) (semi-intermittent treatment). A third group (N = 18) received citalopram (20+/-10 mg/day) in the luteal phase only and placebo during the follicular phase (intermittent treatment). A fourth group (N = 17) received placebo throughout the cycles. The side effects of active treatment were generally mild and transient. Intermittent administration of citalopram was clearly more effective than placebo with respect to both reduction in self-rated irritability and self-rated global improvement; it is of interest that intermittent treatment with citalopram also seemed more effective than continuous or semi-intermittent administration of the drug.

Reduced extracellular levels of serotonin in the amygdala of androgenized female rats

The object of this study was to evaluate the effect of androgenization on the extracellular concentrations of serotonin in the amygdala of otherwise intact female rats. One group of animals received one high dose of testosterone (1 mg, s.c.) within three hours after birth, one group received continuous administration of testosterone by means of silicone tubings (50 mm) for approximately 20 days starting at day 40, and one group received testosterone both in the neonatal period and from day 40 and onwards. Assessment of extracellular levels of serotonin in the amygdala was undertaken around day 60 using in vivo microdialysis with HPLC detection; the animals were awake and unrestrained during the microdialysis procedure. Dialysate serotonin concentrations did not differ between the three groups of androgenized animals; however, in all three groups, dialysate levels of serotonin were significantly lower than in controls receiving sesame oil neonatally and empty tubings at day 40. It is suggested that the effects of testosterone on sex-dependent behaviours such as aggression and sexual activity may be at least partly due to a reduction in brain serotonin function.

A naturalistic study of paroxetine in premenstrual syndrome: efficacy and side-effects during ten cycles of treatment

Eighteen women with severe premenstrual syndrome (PMS) (premenstrual dysphoric disorder, PMDD) were treated openly with paroxetine for 10 consecutive menstrual cycles. Dosage was flexible (5-30 mg/day); also, the patients were free to chose between continuous medication and medication in the luteal phase only. The rating of premenstrual irritability, depressed mood, increase in appetite, and anxiety/tension was markedly lower during treatment with paroxetine than before, and this reduction in symptomatology appeared unabated for the entire treatment period. Sedation, dry mouth, and nausea were common side-effects but declined during the course of the trial; in contrast, reduced libido and anorgasmia, which were reported by almost 50% of the participants, were not improved with time. The results indicate that the beneficial effects as well as the sexual side-effects of serotonin reuptake inhibitors persist unchanged for at least 10 consecutive cycles of treatment.

The serotonin reuptake inhibitor paroxetin is superior to the noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor maprotiline in the treatment of premenstrual syndrome

Recent studies indicate that antidepressant drugs with potent serotonin reuptake inhibiting properties are effective in reducing the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). In order to elucidate whether all antidepressant drugs are equally effective in the treatment of PMS or whether potent serotonin reuptake inhibition is a prerequisite for reducing premenstrual complaints, women suffering from severe PMS were treated daily for three menstrual cycles with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, paroxetine (n = 22), or with a selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor, maprotiline (n = 21); in addition, a placebo group was included (n = 22). Six symptoms (irritability, depressed mood, tension/anxiety, increased appetite/craving for carbohydrates, bloating, and breast tenderness) were rated by the participants daily throughout the study. With respect to all outcome measurements, the symptom reduction obtained with paroxetine was significantly superior to that obtained with placebo; with respect to irritability, increased appetite/carbohydrate craving, bloating, and breast tenderness, as well as global self-rating, paroxetine was significantly superior also to maprotiline. The clear-cut superiority of paroxetine over maprotiline indicates that not all antidepressant drugs are equally effective in the treatment of PMS; rather, like panic disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder, but in contrast to depression, PMS apparently responds better to serotonin reuptake inhibitors than to antidepressants with a noradrenergic profile.

High levels of free testosterone in women with bulimia nervosa

Women with normal-weight bulimia nervosa (n = 11) displayed significantly higher serum levels of free testosterone than age-matched controls (6.0 +/- 0.7 vs 3.9 +/- 0.8 pmol/l; P = 0.03). The possible importance of androgens, in women, for the pathophysiology of conditions characterized by an impairment in impulse control is being discussed.

Clomipramine administered during the luteal phase reduces the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome: a placebo-controlled trial

In a previous controlled trial we have shown that premenstrual irritability and depressed mood (premenstrual syndrome) can be effectively reduced by low doses of the potent (but nonselective) serotonin reuptake inhibitor clomipramine taken each day of the menstrual cycle. The present study was undertaken to examine to what extent intermittent administration of clomipramine, during the luteal phase only, is also effective against premenstrual complaints. Twenty-nine nondepressed women displaying severe premenstrual irritability and/or depressed mood and fulfilling the DSM-III-R criteria of late luteal phase dysphoric disorder were treated daily from the day of ovulation until the onset of the menstruation either with clomipramine (25 to 75 mg) (n = 15) or with placebo (n = 14) for three consecutive menstrual cycles; another nine subjects (seven on clomipramine, two on placebo) dropped out during treatment. In both treatment groups self-rated premenstrual irritability and depressed mood (as registered daily using a visual analogue scale) were significantly reduced during treatment; in the placebo group, this symptom reduction was about 45%, whereas in the clomipramine group it was greater than 70%. The mean premenstrual ratings of irritability and depressed mood during the three treatment cycles were significantly lower in the clomipramine group than in the placebo group. Also with respect to the rating of global improvement, the result obtained with clomipramine was significantly better than that obtained with placebo. The study confirms the previously reported effectiveness of low doses of clomipramine in the treatment of premenstrual syndrome and demonstrates that the time lag between onset of medication and clinical effect is shorter when clomipramine is used for premenstrual syndrome than when it is used for depression, panic disorder, or obsessive compulsive disorder.

Serum levels of androgens are higher in women with premenstrual irritability and dysphoria than in controls

Serum levels of progesterone, total testosterone, free testosterone, androstenedione (A2), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS), 17-OH-progesterone (17-OHP), and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) were measured in the follicular phase, around ovulation, and in the luteal phase of 11 women with severe premenstrual irritability and dysphoria and in 11 age-matched controls with no premenstrual complaints. Serum levels of free testosterone were significantly higher in the subjects with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) than in the controls in the luteal phase (p < 0.01), the follicular phase (p < 0.05), and around ovulation (p < 0.01). DHEA levels were significantly higher in the PMS subjects, as compared to controls, around ovulation (p < 0.05), while 17-OHP levels were higher in the PMS women in the luteal phase (p < 0.05). With respect to the other steroids measured, as well as SHBG, no differences between PMS subjects and controls were found. These results indicate a possible involvement of androgens in the pathophysiology of premenstrual irritability and dysphoria.

Clomipramine effectively reduces premenstrual irritability and dysphoria: a placebo-controlled trial

Forty nondepressed women displaying severe premenstrual irritability and/or dysphoria and fulfilling the DSM-III-R criteria of late luteal phase dysphoric disorder were treated daily for 3 menstrual cycles with either the potent serotonin reuptake inhibitor clomipramine (25-75 mg; flexible dosage) (n = 20) or placebo (n = 20). In both treatment groups premenstrual irritability and dysphoria (as rated daily by the patients using a visual analogue scale) were significantly reduced as compared with the rating during 2 pretreatment reference cycles; however, in the placebo group this reduction was only about 40% whereas, in the clomipramine group, the symptom decrease was greater than 80%. At all 3 treatment cycles, patients on clomipramine displayed significantly lower symptom rating than controls. Also with respect to the rating of global improvement, the results obtained with clomipramine were considerably and significantly better than those obtained with placebo. It is concluded that low doses of clomipramine effectively reduce premenstrual irritability and dysphoria with a response rate close to 100%. The possible role of serotonin in the pathophysiology of the premenstrual syndrome is discussed.

Effect of clomipramine on premenstrual syndrome

Clomipramine (25-50 mg) was administered daily for 5 consecutive menstrual cycles to 5 nondepressed women with severe premenstrual irritability and sadness. All subjects reported a dramatic reduction in premenstrual complaints.