title: Down-regulation of platelet imidazoline-1-binding sites after bupropion treatment.
abstract: An elevation of I1 (imidazoline-1)-binding sites on platelets may be a state marker for depression. Herein, platelet I1 sites were compared in two groups of unipolar depressed patients given different regimens of bupropion treatment: Regimen 1 (n = 13 titrated up to 300 mg/d by week 4 and held constant until week 6); Regimen 2 (n = 15 titrated up to 300 mg/d by week 2, to 450 mg/d by week 6, and held constant until week 8). Platelet I1 sites were quantified by p-[125I]iodoclonidine binding (0.5-15 nM) and displaced by moxonidine under a saturating concentration of norepinephrine to mask alpha2-adrenoceptors. I1 B max values were confirmed to be high at pretreatment in depressed patients (n = 28) compared to healthy control subjects (n = 18; p = 0.02). Highest B max values at pretreatment were found in patients who responded worst to treatment. More than two-thirds of patients recovered from depression (69 and 80% in Regimens 1 and 2, respectively) after treatment. Dose and/or time of exposure to bupropion were relevant variables since (1). only Regimen 2 led to platelet I1 down-regulation and (2). the extent of down-regulation correlated with plasma concentrations of bupropion. The data suggest a dissociation exists between I1 down-regulation and therapeutic response, or else platelet I1 down-regulation lags behind clinical antidepressant response before becoming measurable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA.
authors.forename: Angelos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Halaris
authors.forename: He
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Jeffery
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Amelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nasrallah
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lindsay De Vane
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Piletz
mesh_terms: D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000187:drug effects; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D016642:Bupropion / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003000:Clonidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D054755:Imidazoline Receptors; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011955:Receptors, Drug / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D054755:Imidazoline Receptors; D011955:Receptors, Drug; C410887:imidazoline I1 receptors; D016642:Bupropion; C053113:4-iodoclonidine; D003000:Clonidine