A comparative study of the effects of yohimbine and anetholtrithione on salivary secretion in depressed patients treated with psychotropic drugs.
OBJECTIVE
The present study compares the effects of yohimbine, an alpha 2 adrenoceptor antagonist, and anetholtrithione, a reference drug in the treatment of dry mouth, in patients treated with psychotropic drugs (tricyclic antidepressants or neuroleptics) and suffering from xerostomia.


METHODS
Ten patients were included in a randomized, double-blind, cross-over study, and receiving after yohimbine (3 x 6 mg per day) or anetholtrithione (3 x 25 mg per day) orally for 5 days. Salivary secretion was estimated under resting conditions, before any drug, and then on day 6, 1 h after the ingestion of yohimbine or anetholtrithione.


RESULTS
Compared with basal secretion, the increase in salivary flow was significantly more marked after yohimbine than after anetholtrithione.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates the sialogenic effect of yohimbine in drug-induced dry mouth.
Bagheri
H
H
Service de Pharmacologie Clinique, Inserm U317, Faculté de Médecine, Toulouse, France.
Schmitt
L
L
Berlan
M
M
Montastruc
J L
JL
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000781:Anethole Trithione / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015016:Yohimbine / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D015016:Yohimbine; D000781:Anethole Trithione