title: Plasma-free and sulfoconjugated MHPG in major depressive disorders: differences between responders to treatment and nonresponders.
abstract: The plasma levels of free and sulfoconjugated forms of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) were examined before and after treatment in 16 patients with unipolar major depressive disorders without melancholia. The patients were treated with intravenous administration of clomipramine for 4 weeks. Seven depressive disorder patients who showed marked improvement (the improvement group) revealed significant reduction in their plasma sulfoconjugated MHPG levels. In 6 depressive disorder patients who showed no improvement (the no-improvement group), the plasma sulfoconjugated MHPG levels showed no significant change after treatment. The remaining 3 patients, who showed ambiguous change after treatment, were excluded from the analysis. Levels of plasma-free MHPG showed significant change after treatment in neither the improvement group nor in the no-improvement group. It is suggested that levels of plasma sulfoconjugated MHPG may serve as an indicator of brain noradrenergic activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mine
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mishima
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002997:Clomipramine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood; D010555:Personality Inventory; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: C030284:3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol sulfate; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol; D002997:Clomipramine; D009638:Norepinephrine