The Effect of Desipramine upon Melatonin and Cortisol Secretion in Depressed and Normal Subjects

Melatonin and Cortisol values in plasma were measured hourly over 24 hours in six depressed patients and six normal volunteers before treatment and after one and three weeks of treatment with desipramine. The normal volunteers were further tested one week after withdrawal of desipramine. The mydriat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of psychiatry 1985-10, Vol.147 (4), p.389-393
Main Authors: Thompson, Christopher, Mezey, Gillian, Corn, Timothy, Franey, Christine, English, Judith, Arendt, Josephine, Checkley, Stuart
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Biological and medical sciences
Depressive Disorder - blood
Depressive Disorder - drug therapy
Desipramine - therapeutic use
Female
Humans
Hydrocortisone - blood
Male
Medical sciences
Melatonin - blood
Neuropharmacology
Pharmacology. Drug treatments
Phenylephrine - pharmacology
Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer..., (alzheimer disease)
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopharmacology
Pupil - drug effects
Time Factors
Tyramine - pharmacology
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Summary:Melatonin and Cortisol values in plasma were measured hourly over 24 hours in six depressed patients and six normal volunteers before treatment and after one and three weeks of treatment with desipramine. The normal volunteers were further tested one week after withdrawal of desipramine. The mydriatic effects of tyramine and phenylephrine eye drops were also recorded in the normal volunteers. In neither group of subjects did desipramine treatment reduce melatonin secretion, suggesting that functionally significant down-regulation of beta andrenoceptors was not caused by this treatment. Melatonin secretion was significantly increased after three weeks of treatment in depressed patients. This increase was not found in normal subjects.
ISSN:0007-1250
1472-1465
DOI:10.1192/bjp.147.4.389