Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry
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Prog. Neuropsychopharmacol. Biol. Psychiatry · Mar 2012
Genetic epistasis between the brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met polymorphism and the 5-HTT promoter polymorphism moderates the susceptibility to depressive disorders after childhood abuse.
Based on biological interactions between the serotonergic system and the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), BDNF is a plausible candidate for a gene-gene-environment interaction moderating the interaction between the s/l- promoter polymorphism of the serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) and childhood abuse. We tested the hypothesis of a three-way interaction with respect to depressive symptoms. ⋯ Our results point to a gene-gene-environment interaction that relevantly impacts on the role of the s/s genotype of the 5-HTTLPR in childhood abuse: Depending on the BDNF background (Val/Val versus Met allele) the s/s genotype showed either protective or risk properties with regard to depressive symptoms.
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Prog. Neuropsychopharmacol. Biol. Psychiatry · Mar 2012
Multicenter Study Clinical TrialLong-term efficacy and safety of gabapentin enacarbil in Japanese restless legs syndrome patients.
Several short- and long-term studies conducted in Europe/North America have demonstrated good efficacy and tolerability of 600-1800 mg gabapentin enacarbil (GEn). However, no studies have evaluated the efficacy of long-term treatment with GEn in Asian patients. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of long-term treatment with GEn in Japanese patients with restless legs syndrome (RLS) in a multicenter open-label study. ⋯ No episodes of augmentation were reported. In conclusion, long-term treatment with GEn improved RLS symptoms as well as investigator- and patient-reported outcomes in Japanese patients with moderate-to-severe RLS, with an acceptable safety profile. Randomized, double-blind, placebo/active-controlled trials are desirable to confirm these preliminary results.
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Prog. Neuropsychopharmacol. Biol. Psychiatry · Mar 2012
Salivary alpha-amylase and cortisol responsiveness following electrical stimulation stress in major depressive disorder patients.
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is often associated with dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis by chronic stress. In comparison, psychosocial stress-induced activation of salivary α-amylase (sAA) functions as a marker of sympathoadrenal medullary system (SAM) activity. However, in contrast to salivary cortisol, sAA has been less extensively studied in MDD patients. ⋯ In the present study only three time points were explored. Furthermore, the increased secretion of sAA before and after stimulation could allude to an increased responsiveness of novel and uncontrollable situations in patients with MDD. These preliminary results suggest that sAA might be a useful biological marker of MDD.
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Prog. Neuropsychopharmacol. Biol. Psychiatry · Mar 2012
Epistatic effects between variants of kappa-opioid receptor gene and A118G of mu-opioid receptor gene increase susceptibility to addiction in Indian population.
Unequivocal evidence suggests contribution of κ-opioid receptor (KOR) in addiction to drugs of abuse. A study was undertaken to identify the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) at selective areas of kappa opioid receptor 1 (OPRK1) gene in heroin as well as in alcohol addicts and to compare them with that in control population. The potential interaction of the identified KOR SNPs with A118G of μ opioid receptor was also investigated. ⋯ Our study suggests that set associations of polymorphisms may be important in determining the risk profile for complex diseases such as addiction.