Cardiac beta-adrenergic sensitivity in depression: relation with endogenous subtype and desipramine response.
The authors studied the responsiveness of cardiac beta-receptors to isoproterenol, a noradrenergic agonist, in 29 depressed patients and 13 control subjects. They showed a significantly lower sensitivity in depressed patients as compared with the control subjects. Focussing on the group of depressed patients without antidepressant treatment in the month preceding the study (n = 15) in order to avoid a bias, the following significant results were obtained: cardiac beta-adrenergic receptor sensitivity was lower in patients suffering from endogenous depression than in those suffering from reactive depression (as classified by Newcastle Scale). There was a negative linear relation between cardiac beta-adrenergic sensitivity and the posttreatment clinical state (as expressed by the MADRS score) for the 9 patients who ended a 3-week desipramine treatment period.
Bertschy
G
G
Service de Psychiatrie, CHU St-Jacques, Paris, France.
Vandel
S
S
Puech
A
A
Vandel
B
B
Sandoz
M
M
Allers
G
G
D000275:Adjustment Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D003891:Desipramine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D006321:Heart / Q000294:innervation*; D006801:Humans; D007545:Isoproterenol; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000502:physiology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; D007545:Isoproterenol; D003891:Desipramine; D009638:Norepinephrine