title: Downregulation of serotonin receptor subtypes by nortriptyline and adinazolam in major depressive disorder: neuroendocrine and platelet markers.
abstract: Neuroendocrine and platelet markers of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) receptor functioning are useful tools for studying the downregulation of 5-HT receptors, a leading hypothesis for the mechanism of action of antidepressant drugs. The 5-HT releaser fenfluramine raises body temperature as well as plasma concentrations of ACTH, cortisol, and prolactin. Pretreatment with the 5-HT1 antagonist pindolol did not block the hyperthermic response to fenfluramine, mediating its actions via non-5-HT1 receptor subtypes (presumably 5-HT2/1C). We observed blunted hyperthermic responses to fenfluramine in unmedicated patients with major depressive disorder. We also observed that the neuroendocrine responses to fenfluramine were decreased by chronic treatment with the tricyclic antidepressant nortriptyline but not by chronic treatment with tricyclic antidepressant nortriptyline but not by chronic treatment with adinazolam, a triazolobenzodiazepine with purported antidepressant activity. IC50 values for ketanserin inhibition of 5-HT-induced platelet shape change response, a marker of 5-HT2/1c receptors, were elevated after nortriptyline treatment in depressed patients, and this increase could be accounted for by those subjects who responded well to antidepressant treatment. Adinazolam treatment did not alter the platelet shape change response. Our data suggest that downregulation of 5-HT2/1c receptors may be linked to the clinical response of depressed patients treated with nortriptyline.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Stahl
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Hauger
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Rausch
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Fleishaker
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hubbell-Alberts
mesh_terms: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D048429:Cell Size / Q000187:drug effects; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D005277:Fenfluramine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009661:Nortriptyline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D005277:Fenfluramine; D009661:Nortriptyline; C039668:adinazolam