Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0011570 (depression)
 172,036 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

A series of studies on the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of some tricyclic antidepressants is reviewed. During treatment with the same oral dose of these drugs, patients develop widely differing plasma levels. The importance of this variability for the clinical effects has been studied in detail for the monomethylated compound, nortriptyline. There is an association between side-effects and high plasma levels of this drug. In endogenously depressed patients, the relationship between plasma level and effect appears to be curvilinear. The tricyclic antidepressants differ in their capacity to inhibit transmitter uptake into noradrenaline- and serotonin neurons respectively. Nortriptyline is a preferential noradrenaline uptake inhibitor, while the dimethylated compound, chlorimipramine also has a profound influence on serotonin neurons. These differential effects are also reflected in changes in the levels of the transmitter metabolites in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The CSF studies have also supported the hypothesis of a biochemical heterogeneity of the depressive syndrome. The levels of the serotonin metabolite, 5-HIAA were bimodally distributed in CSF. In patients with a low level of 5-HIAA there was a significant correlation between the CSF metabolite level and the severity of the depression, and these patients also appeared to be more suicide-prone than those with higher 5-HIAA levels. These patients seemed to be less amenable to treatment with nortriptyline. The effect of chlorimipramine treatment in this subgroup of depressives is presently being explored.
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PMID:Treatment of depression with tricyclic drugs--pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic aspects. 1 May 83

Bromcarbamide-containing sleeping pills are frequently used in suicide attempts and cause severe, often fatal, intoxication. Since 1975, the chemically related drug diethylpentenamide had been available (in the German Federal Republic) without prescription. The authors report four cases of attempted suicide with the drug. The signs were similar to those after carbromal intoxication. There was severe respiratory depression, successfully treated by extracorporeal detoxication with combined haemoperfusion and haemodialysis. One patient developed acute pancreatitis as a complication.
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PMID:[Diethylpentenamide, a substitute for carbromal? (author's transl)]. 2 46

The steady rise in the promiscuous use of phencyclidine (PCP) as a "recreational" drug has recently gained nationwide attention because of the numerous violent and/or bizarre incidents caused by the use of this drug. Because the media often exaggerate reports of bizarre and violent behavior to make a "good" story, the potential PCP user may be tempted to ignore the media warnings. In the case of PCP, however exaggerated the story, a real danger does exist. So, despite numerous newspaper, radio and television warnings about the possible consequences of PCP use and abuse, the incidence of toxic reactions continues to climb. In many cases PCP is sold as other drugs, particularly THC, and in various colored capsules, tablets, liquids and crystals which may explain the increased usage despite the numerous warnings against its use. The advances in laboratory techniques and chemical processess have enabled the clandestine chemist to prepare relatively pure PCP and thus eliminate many of the toxic side effects due to impurities in the drug. In addition, 30 or more psychoactive PCP analogues have been developed and are starting to make an appearance on the street. PCP is perhaps the most potent psychotomimetic compound known at the present time and is capable of inducing a psychosis which is clinically indistinguishable from schizophrenia. The psychosis-producing effects of PCP are the most common toxic effects seen in hospital emergency rooms; but as the amount of PCP taken and/or the simultaneous involvement of other drugs, particularly barbiturates, occurs, severe medical problems (e.g., coma, seizures, respiratory arrest) begin to appear. Death from high doses of PCP or PCP plus other drugs does occur, but the principal cause of death from PCP abuse is due to trauma, homicide or suicide (usually of the bizarre or violent form). Young adult males, persons predisposed to mental illness and naive drug users appear to be the most susceptible to the adverse effects of PCP. The fact that chronic PCP users are starting to increase in number is mute testimony that not all users experience "bad trips" with PCP. Unfortunately for the user, however, this does not guarantee that the next trip will not be a bad one. The effects of chronic use seem to be twofold: severe depression with suicidal thoughts and numerous violent, agitated behavioral patterns. Neither seems to be a suitable alternative. At the present time there is not specific antidote for toxic PCP reactions and the prolonged psychosis induced in some cases does not appear to respond to the standard antipsychotic medications as quickly as do the functional psychoses. The major improvement from a medical standpoint is the development of more sensitive laboratory techniques to confirm the presence of PCP in body fluids. This advance has undoubtedly led to the apparent increase in the number of PCP cases reported by hospitals and to the accuracy of clinical diagnosis by medical, drug or law enforcement communities...
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PMID:PCP (phencyclidine): an update. 4 8

The most important mechanisms for the specific depression of immune reactions--immuno-tolerance, enhancement, transfer of antibodies, drug induced tolerance, immunological suicide, application of antibody-toxin-complexes--are discussed with regard to their possible application in the clinical practice. A tentative hypothesis for induction of antigen specific suppression is proposed, basing on the use of antigen-immunosuppressive agent-conjugates (AIC). Antigen binding lymphocytes are supposed to bind the AIC and to pick them up through endocytosis. After breakdown of the AIC in the lymphoid cells the free immunosuppressive agent can become effective causing damage to the specific cell clones.
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PMID:[Modification of the immune reaction by antigen-immunosuppressive-agent conjugates. I. Tentative hypothesis for the induction of antigen-specific suppression by antigen-immunosuppressive-agent conjugates]. 6 72

Forty-five patients with parkinsonism were carefully matched for age and sex with 45 chronically disabled control patients with a significantly more severe grade of physical handicap. Depression was measured by the Hamilton Rating Scale, and it was found that the parkinsonian group was very significantly more depressed than the control group (p less than 0-0001). Depression scores in both groups were unaffected by the patients's sex or by the severity of the disability. Analysis of the individual ratings of the Hamilton Scale showed that parkinsonian patients had significantly higher scores on items relating to suicide, work and interests, retardation, psychic anxiety, general somatic symptoms, and loss of insight. It was concluded that patients with parkinsonism suffer a degree of depression which cannot be solely a reaction to the stress of physical disability. This finding is discussed with reference to the monoamine hypothesis of depressive illness.
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PMID:Depression in patients with Parkinsonism. 13 Jan 80

The effectiveness of estrogen therapy for alleviating severe depressions was investigated in a double blind study in which large doses of estrogen were administered to 15 premenopausal and 8 postmenopausal women and placebos were administered to 12 premenopausal and 5 postmenopausal women. The estrogens and placebos were administered over a three month period, and the women were blind rated each week by psychologists and psychiatrists using Hamilton rating scales for depression. There was a significant decline in the depression scores for the group treated with estrogens when compared to the placebo treated group. Considerable variation in the degree of improvement for the women in the estrogen treated group was observed. These variations were not related to age or to menstrual status but were significantly related to depression duration. Women with shorter histories of depression were more likely to show improvement than women with longer illness durations. Efforts were also made to understand the physiological mechanisms through which estrogen treatment contributed toward reducing depression. Previous studies revealed that decreased availability of norepinephrine at the central adrenegic receptor sites in the brain was related to the manifestation of depression while increased availability of norepinephrine at these sites was ralated to a manifestation of elation. Increased availability of norepinephrine has been shown to be related to an inhibition of monoamine oxidase activity (MAO), and estrogen, in turn, has been demonstrated to inhibit MAO activity. During the 3 month study period, 2 blood samples were obtained from the women every week and analyzed for MAO activity. All patients had elevated levels of plasma MAO activity prior to treatment. In estrogen treated patients, MAO levels declined significantly; MAO levels unexplicably increased for the placebo treated group. Reduced MAO activity was not, however, significantly correlated with lower depression ratings. In determining the risk/benefit ratio of estrogen therapy both the risk of developing endometrial cancer and the risks of life long disability and suicide stemming from severe depression should be considered. Tables show 1) mean depression ratings and average MAO activity levels before and after treatment for the estrogen and placebo treated groups and 2) degree of change in depression ratings before and after treatment for both groups of women.
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PMID:Estrogen therapy for severe persistent depressions in women. 21 2

A high-resolution liquid chromatographic system was utilized to analyze urine samples of twelve nonchemical suicide victims for the relative composition of ultraviolet-absorbing compounds. The analyses demonstrated a decrease in the output of uric acid, characteristic of severe depression, and an increase in the excretion of hypoxanthine. The excretion of 7-methylxanthine was found to be variable and xanthine was normal.
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PMID:Urinary purine levels in suicide. 24 23

Studying the contents of suicide notes might help to improve the understanding of individual cases whilst offering an opportunity to search for possible preventive guidelines. In a study in an Australian capital city, suicides for one year (1972-73) were investigated including the medical and psychiatric data where possible, and psychosocial circumstances in each case. The total number of suicides in the year was 135. Twenty-seven individuals left suicide notes of which 25 were available for examination. The mood as reflected in the notes was categorised in terms of depression and hopelessness, neutral affect and hostility. The affect was related to age, sex, marital status and method of suicide. The results are presented with examples of each category and are discussed with respect to their contribution to (i) understanding the cause of death, (ii) understanding the intention of the suicide, (iii) assisting the relatives in coping with the suicide, (iv) drawing attention to those factors where earlier intervention may have averted suicide.
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PMID:The significance of suicide notes. 27 Mar 39

By reviewing causes of death among cohorts of various major disease entities or conditions, one may infer that a large majority of suicides are associated with a relatively small number of conditions. From the available follow-up studies, we might estimate that the following percentage of affected individuals will die by suicide: primary (endogenous) depression, 15 per cent; reactive (neurotic) depression, 15 per cent; alcoholism, 15 per cent; schizophrenia, 10 per cent; psychopathic personality, 5 per cent; opiate addiction, 10 per cent or more. Rough estimates of the number of suicides per year in the United States attributable to each condition might be as follows (using low incidence figures): depression, 12,900; alcoholism, 6,900; schizophrenia, 3,800; psychopathy, 2,000 (?); drug addiction, 900.
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PMID:Conditions predisposing to suicide: a review. 32 25

In complicated ways depression is related to suicide. If the national climate could be made depressive by mass media coverage of a depressing event (for example, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy), the suicide rate theoretically ought to increase, unless depression were not related to suicide during time of great national focus. This hypothesis was investigated by using a questionnaire survey requesting information concerning suicide rate for the period November 22--30 for the 17 years 1956--1972. Sixty-one cities were randomly selected and contacted; 29 responded. A total of 74 suicides--48 males and 26 females--were reported during the 17 years studied. The hypothesis that more suicides should have occurred during 1963 was not supported. No suicides occurred during November 22--30 in 1963, the year of the Kennedy assassination. The results were significant at the .01 level. The finding that during a time of focused national crisis fewer suicides occur coincides with the findings of Durkheim (1897/1951).
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PMID:Suicide related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. 34 85


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