Summary
The effect of some MAO-inhibiting hydrazines on the metabolism of exogenous 5-HT was investigated in 18 patients. These drugs were found to reduce the production of 5-HIAA after oral administration of 5-HT. This phenomenon was not in any way correlated with the development of the psychical changes. Moreover, it is probably not brought about by blockage of MAO activity. A few alternatives to inhibition of MAO activity are discussed.
Electroshock therapy — with the same indications as the above mentioned antidepressive agents — had no influence on the metabolism of exogenous 5-HT.
In 6 of the 7 patients with agitated depressions examined so far the 5-HIAA production after administration of 5-HT respectively 5-HIAA was abnormally low (<25%). The quantities obtained increased in proportion as the agitation subsided, irrespective of the therapy applied. The possible causes of this phenomenon are discussed.
The conclusion is reached that the theory from which the reasoning starts — according to which the revitalizing effect of antidepressive hydrazines is related to their MAO-inhibiting capacity — is to be regarded as unfounded. Stress is laid on the importance of testing other points of attack of these drugs, with regard to their psychopharmacological significance.
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van Praag, H.M., Leijnse, B. Die Bedeutung der Monoaminoxydasehemmung als antidepressives Prinzip. II. Psychopharmacologia 4, 91–102 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00413327
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00413327