Anti-depressant effects

Coppen A, Shaw DM, Farrell JP. Potentiation of the anti-depressive effect of a monoamine-oxidase inhibitor by tryptophan. Lancet 1963 1 79-81. 

Valerian (Valerianafauriei) evidence from animal studies suggests possible anti-depressant effect... 

Additive bone marrow depressive effects occur when the miotic inhibitor drugs are administered with other anti-neoplastic dragp or radiation therapy. Administration of vincristine with digoxin results in a decreased therapeutic effect of tlie digoxin and decreased plasma digoxin levels. There is a decrease in serum concentrations of phenytoin when administered widi vinblastine... 

The biochemical theory of depression is in a state of crisis. The data just do not fit the theory. The neurotransmitter depletion studies that I described earlier in this chapter show that lowering serotonin or norepinephrine levels does not make most people depressed. When administered as antidepressants, drugs that increase, decrease or have no effect on serotonin all relieve depression to about the same degree. And the effect of anti-depressants, which was the basis for proposing the chemical-imbalance theory in the first place, turns out to be largely a placebo effect. 

The behavioural effects of two antidepressants with opposite molecular actions, ie. tianeptine (a serotonin reuptake enhancer) and fluoxetine (a serotonin reuptake blocker) have been assessed and it was concluded that, apart from the effects on serotonin reuptake, these dmgs have other mechanisms playing an important role in the anti-depressant action <00AF5>. 

Patients in whom haloperidol is contraindicated can be treated by intramuscular injection of benzodiazepines, but these can cause respiratory depression or respiratory arrest if given in too high a dose, are contra-indicated in patients with preexisting respiratory depression, and have no specific anti-psychotic effect. 

Mutant mice lackingNPY showincreased anxiety-relatedbehavior (Palmiter et al. 1998) a full description of the behavioral phenotype of NPY receptor-null mutant mice is not available yet. However, data from Y2 receptor-null mutants support an anti-stress activity of NPY (Tschenett et al. 2003). In addition to the anxiolytic and anti-stress effects of NPY, a relationship to alcohol intake has been described. Voluntary ethanol consumption is increased in NPY and Yi receptor-null mutant mice, whereas either NPY overexpression or potentiation of NPY signaling through blockade of Y2 receptors suppresses rodent alcohol intake (Thiel et al. 1998,2002 Thorsell et al. 2002). Thus, in addition to anxiety and depression, alcohol dependency may be a promising clinical field for newly developed NPY receptor hgands. 

---