In a series of experiments, we tested the hypothesis that chronic antidepressant drug administration reduces the synaptic availability of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) through one or more effects on CRF gene expression or peptide synthesis. We also determined whether effects of acute or chronic stress on CRF gene expression or peptide concentration are influenced by antidepressant drug t...

A study of the chemical constituents from the Australian Sponge Hyrtios digitatus has provided a perspective on the connection between the chemistry and biology of the puupehenones, a unique and unusual class of merosesquiterpenes. In this study, a new tetracyclic merosesquiterpene, 19-methoxy-9,15-ene-puupehenol (1) was isolated from the marine sponge Hyrtios digitatus along with the known 20-...

Ketamine is a N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist that produces rapid antidepressant responses in individuals with major depressive disorder. The antidepressant action of ketamine has been linked to blocking NMDAR activation at rest, which inhibits eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase leading to desuppression of protein synthesis and synaptic potentiation in the CA1 region of the ...

BACKGROUND Treatment-resistant and chronic depression appear to be increasing. The recent identification of antidepressant tachyphylaxis, the loss of antidepressant efficacy over time, is only a partial explanation. This is an emerging evidence that, in some individuals, persistent use of antidepressants may be prodepressant. METHODS A literature search of PubMed utilizing the terms: antidepr...

Zinc and magnesium are potent inhibitors of the NMDA receptor complex. Previous reports demonstrated that both zinc and magnesium, like other NMDA receptor antagonists, exhibit antidepressant-like effects in rodent screening tests. Moreover, chronic treatment with antidepressants and electroconvulsive shock increase zinc concentration in the rat hippocampus. The present study examined the effec...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Daily left prefrontal transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for several weeks was first proposed as an acute treatment for depression in the early 1990s, and was Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved in 2008. In the past year, several important studies have been published that extend our understanding of this novel treatment approach. RECENT FINDINGS The first round ...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Alteration in the serotonin leads to the psychological illness, such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorders and migraines. The objective of the current study was to investigate the antidepressant and anxiolytic activities of N-(pyridin-3-yl) quinoxalin-2-carboxamide (QCF-21), a novel 5-HT3receptor antagonis...

Zinc and magnesium are potent inhibitors of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor complex. Recent data demonstrate that both zinc and magnesium, like other NMDA receptor antagonists, exhibit antidepressant-like activity in rodent screening tests and depression models. In the present study, we investigated the effect of D-serine (agonist for the glycine(B) site of the NMDA receptor complex; 1...

BACKGROUND Antidepressant exposure during pregnancy has been associated with an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in several observational studies. We performed a systematic review of these studies to highlight the effect that important methodological limitations have on such analyses and to consider approaches to the conduct, r...

Sir: The case report by Drs. Ashton and Bennett (January 1999 issue) is a welcome addition to the body of literature regarding the treatment of antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction. One point needs clarification: the authors state that their cases possibly represent the first patients treated with sildenafil for antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction. To date, an open trial 2 and 3 case...