TY  - JOUR
T1  - Idazoxan: A selective α2-antagonist and effective sustained antidepressant in two bipolar depressed patients
AU  - Osman OT, Rudorfer MV, Potter WZ
Y1  - 1989/10/01
N1  - 10.1001/archpsyc.1989.01810100100021
JO  - Archives of General Psychiatry
SP  - 958
EP  - 959
VL  - 46
IS  - 10
N2  - To the Editor.— 
    We report on the therapeutic and biochemical effects of short- and long-term administration of idazoxan, a selective α2-administration and a putative antidepressant, in three patients with the diagnosis of depression and a history of poor response to standard treatments. The down regulation of central β-receptors in response to increased synaptic norepinephrine (NE) levels has consistently been demonstrated after tricyclic antidepressant1 as well as other effective treatments for depression.2,3 In addition, α2-adrenergic receptors have been shown to down regulate in response to at least some antidepressants.4,5 Furthermore, blockade of α-receptors can accelerate the down regulation of β-receptors by tricyclic antidepressants in rats,6 probably by enhancing intrasynaptic NE through the blockade of prejunctional α2-receptors that normally mediate feedback inhibition of NE release.7 In human studies, however, the addition of yohimbine therapy to patients who had failed to respond
SN  - 0003-990X
M3  - doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1989.01810100100021
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.1989.01810100100021
ER  -