Early decrease in density of mononuclear leukocyte β-adrenoceptors in depressed patients following amineptine treatment: Possible relation to clinical efficiency

Abstract

Mazzola, Pascale, Régine Jeanningros, Jean M. Azorin, Laurence Aligné and René Tissot : Early decrease in density of mononuclear leukocyte β-adrenoceptors in depressed patients following amineptine treatment: Possible relation to clinical efficiency. Prog. Neuro-Psychophannacol. & Biol. Psychiat. 1991, 15:357-367. 1. 1. The effect of chronic amineptine treatment (200mg/day) on β-adrenoceptor density of intact mononuclear leukocytes (MNL) was examined in unmedicated major unipolar depressed patients. 2. 2. Pretreatment parameters of (-)-[125I]-iodopindolol specific binding did not differ significantly from age- and sex-matched healthy controls as the patients were only moderately depressed. 3. 3. All patients showed a highly significant clinical improvement as assessed by the AMDP-depress ion scale after one week of amineptine (D7), while 2 patients relapsed after one month of treatment (D28) and were considered to be non-responders. 4. 4. The maximal density of β-adrenoceptors (Bmax) was significantly decreased at D7 (by 33%) compared to pretreatment level (DO) in the treatment responders and remained lower at D28, although the difference was no longer significant. No alteration in β-receptor affinity (Kd) was detected during the treatment. 5. 5. These results indicate that treatment with amineptine, an anti-depressant drug known to selectively inhibit the dopamine uptake system, can rapidly affect MNL β-adrenoceptors. 6. 6. Moreover, the present findings show that the reduction in MNL β-adrenoceptor density, which is associated with a stable clinical improvement, may provide a predictive index for successful anti-depressant treatment. © 1991.