Antidepressants: current concepts of mode of action.
Repeated administration of antidepressant drugs to rodents produces adaptive changes in noradrenaline and 5-hydroxytryptamine pathways in the brain. A decrease in cortical beta-adrenoceptor binding is seen following most antidepressant treatments and is thought by some to be of importance in the therapeutic action of antidepressants; however, it seems equally plausible that this change simply reflects a homeostatic response to increased noradrenergic transmission. Another effect common to many different antidepressant treatments is an increase in neurotransmission through post-synaptic 5-HT1 receptors in some brain regions. 5-HT neuroendocrine studies suggest that this change also occurs in the human brain. Further investigations are required to assess whether alterations in 5-HT neurotransmissions are important in the therapeutic action of antidepressant treatment.
Cowen
P J
PJ
MRC Unit of Clinical Pharmacology, Littlemore Hospital, Oxford, England.
D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001143:Arousal / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic / Q000187:drug effects*; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000187:drug effects*
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin