title: The effect of lamotrigine on platelet monoamine oxidase type B activity in patients with bipolar depression.
abstract: Lamotrigine is an anticonvulsant drug effective in the treatment of epilepsy and bipolar depression. Preclinical data showed that lamotrigine inhibited monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity in vitro. The aim of the study was to determine the effects of 6-weeks lamotrigine treatment on platelet MAO type B (MAO-B) activity in patient with bipolar depression. The study included 26 female patients with bipolar I disorder in depressive episode (DSM-IV criteria, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) and Young Mania Rating Scale). Platelet MAO-B activity was determined spectrofluorimetrically before and after 6 weeks of the treatment with a relatively low dose of lamotrigine (100 mg/day). Six weeks of treatment with lamotrigine significantly decreased platelet MAO-B activity in bipolar depressed patients. This inhibitory effect was not related to smoking status and was independent of the treatment combinations (lamotrigine alone or in combination with either lithium or antipsychotics). Lamotrigine treatment induced a decrease in total HAMD scores in bipolar depressed patients, which was not significantly correlated with reduction of platelet MAO-B activity. These findings provide in vivo insight of lamotrigine effect on platelet MAO-B activity in patients with bipolar depression. Its in vivo MAO-B inhibiting effect might have contributed in part to its antidepressant activity.
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Medicine, Rudjer Boskovic Institute, POBox 180, HR-10002 Zagreb, Croatia. seler@irb.hr
authors.forename: Dorotea
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Muck-Seler
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sagud
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mustapic
authors.forename: Gordana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nedic
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Babic
authors.forename: Alma
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mihaljevic Peles
authors.forename: Miro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jakovljevic
authors.forename: Nela
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pivac
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D018692:Antimanic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077213:Lamotrigine; D008875:Middle Aged; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase / Q000097:blood*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012907:Smoking / Q000097:blood; D014227:Triazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D018692:Antimanic Agents; D014227:Triazines; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase; D000077213:Lamotrigine