EFFECTS OF BIFEMELANE HYDROCHLORIDE ON PLASMA NEUROPEPTIDE-Y, 3-METHOXY-4-HYDROXYPHENYLETHYLENE GLYCOL AND 5-HYDROXY-INDOLE ACETIC-ACID CONCENTRATIONS IN PATIENTS WITH CEREBRAL INFARCTION

Bifemelane hydrochloride (BH) is widely employed in Japan in the treat ment oi cerebral infarction patients with depressive symptoms and its antidepressant action is considered to be caused by the normalizing ef fects of neurotransmitters. The relationship between the normalizing e ffects oi neurotransmitters of BH and the depressive state of patients with cerebral infarction was examined. BH 150 mg/day was administered for three months to 13 cerebral infarction patients with depressive s tate. We measured the plasma neuropeptide Y (NPY), 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy phenylethylene glycol (MHPG) and 5-hydroxy-indole acetic acid (5-HIAA) , and assessed the depressive symptoms using the 21-item Hamilton's Ra ting Scale for Depression (HRSD) before and after administration of BH . Alter treatment, the plasma NPY concentration was significantly incr eased, the plasma MHPG concentration and total score of HRSD were sign ificantly decreased, and the plasma 5-HIAA concentration showed no cha nges. These findings suggest that the antidepressant effect of BH is c aused by the normalizing effects of NPY and noradrenalinergic neurons.