Subsensitivity of the 5-hydroxytryptamine1A (5-HT1A) receptor-mediated hypothermic response to ipsapirone in unipolar depression.
The selective 5-HT1A receptor ligand ipsapirone (IPS) induces hypothermia in humans. To explore 5-HT1A receptor-mediated thermoregulation in depression, 24 subjects (12 patients with unipolar depression and 12 individually matched controls) received 0.3 mg/kg IPS or placebo in random order. Compared with controls, the depressed patients exhibited significantly attenuated hypothermic responses to IPS. The impaired hypothermic response following 5-HT1A receptor activation in unipolar depression could have resulted from subsensitivity of the (presynaptic) 5-HT1A receptor and/or related effector mechanisms, thus supporting the hypothesis that altered serotonergic activity may be present in affective disorders. Future studies of the hypothermic response to direct-acting 5-HT1A ligands, such as IPS should facilitate the assessment of 5-HT receptor function in various affective disorders and its involvement in psychotropic drug effects.
Lesch
K P
KP
Department of Psychiatry, University of Wuerzburg, FRG.
Mayer
S
S
Disselkamp-Tietze
J
J
Hoh
A
A
Schoellnhammer
G
G
Schulte
H M
HM
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001831:Body Temperature; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000378:metabolism*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced; D008024:Ligands; D008297:Male; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D012008:Recurrence
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D008024:Ligands; D011743:Pyrimidines; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; C043077:ipsapirone