title: Different gender response to serotonergic and noradrenergic antidepressants. A comparative study of the efficacy of citalopram and reboxetine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is well established that depressive disorders are more prevalent in women; however gender differences in the pharmacological response to antidepressants are not a consistent finding in all reports. It is considered that this discrepancy can be explained by the fact that in most clinical trials drug use for comparative purposes is not completely different. In this study gender differences in antidepressant response with citalopram (CTP), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor and reboxetine (RBX), a selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor were evaluated in a group of young men and premenopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-six depressed patients 18 to 40 years old participated in an 8-week double-blind clinical trial. Subjects were divided in four groups according to sex and treatment assignation: females treated with CTP (n = 25) or RBX (n = 23), and males treated with CTP (n = 19) or RBX (n = 19). Response was determined using HDRS and BDI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ANOVA analysis considering change in HDRS scores from baseline to last evaluation found a significant interaction between gender and type of treatment. Females treated with CTP showed a significantly greater response than females treated with RBX, while in men no differences were observed for both drugs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Replication using larger sample size and longer treatment periods is required.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results support previous findings which show that premenopausal women respond better than men to serotonergic antidepressants. They also support that a plausible interaction between gonadal hormones and serotonin may explain gender differences in antidepressant response.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente, Clinical Research Subdirection, Mexico. cisnerb@imp.edu.mx
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Berlanga
authors.forename: Mónica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Flores-Ramos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D015283:Citalopram / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D042341:Gonadal Hormones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009025:Morpholines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017697:Premenopause / Q000187:drug effects; D000077593:Reboxetine; D012074:Remission Induction; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors; D015283:Citalopram; D042341:Gonadal Hormones; D009025:Morpholines; D000077593:Reboxetine; D012701:Serotonin; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors