The serotonin transporter (SERT) is an integral membrane protein that exploits preexisting sodium-, chloride-, and potassium ion gradients to catalyze the thermodynamically unfavorable movement of synaptic serotonin into the presynaptic neuron. SERT has garnered significant clinical attention partly because it is the target of multiple psychoactive agents, including the antidepressant paroxetin...

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether variable antidepressant response may be influenced by an interaction between the serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) and antidepressant concentration. METHODS Elderly subjects with depression treated with paroxetine (n = 110) were genotyped and assessed with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD). A mixed-effect analysis of repeated...

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly used drugs for the treatment of psychiatric diseases including major depressive disorder (MDD). For unknown reasons a substantial number of patients do not show any improvement during or after SSRI treatment. We treated DBA/2J mice for 28 days with paroxetine and assessed their behavioral response with the forced swim test (FST). Paro...

We investigated platelet 14C-serotonin uptake and platelet [3H]LSD and [3H]paroxetine binding in 11 patients with seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Patients were reinvestigated after light therapy, applied at 07.00-09.00 h for 10 consecutive days. The degree of depression was rated before and after light therapy using the Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale (CPRS). Baseline data in p...

Paroxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, is metabolized in the liver and excreted into bile and urine as metabolites, but species differences have been observed in hepatic disposition between rats and humans. A major metabolite in rats is M1glucuronide, whereas M1-glucuronide and M1-sulfate are found in humans. The primary excretion route of paroxetine-derived radioactivity in rats...

The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture in 138 patients with earthquake-caused PTSD using Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs). 138 cases enrolled were randomly assigned to an electro-acupuncture group and a paroxetine group. The electro-acupuncture group was treated by scalp electro-acupuncture on Baihui (GV 20), Sishencong (EX-HN 1), Shenting (GV...

Pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions often occur at the level of P-glycoprotein (Pgp). To study possible interactions caused by the newer antidepressants we investigated citalopram, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, reboxetine, sertraline, and venlafaxine and their major metabolites desmethylcitalopram, norfluoxetine, paroxetine-metabolite (paroxetine-M), desmethylsertraline, N-desmethylve...

A fatal poisoning case involving multiple psychotropic drugs is presented. Quantitative toxicological analysis showed that the concentrations of diphenhydramine, paroxetine, phenobarbital, diazepam and its metabolites (nordiazepam and temazepam) in the femoral blood were 9.19 μg/ml, 1.02 μg/ml, 19.9 μg/ml, 0.26 μg/ml, 8.55 μg/ml and 2.69 μg/ml, respectively. We concluded that the cause of death...

Intervention: Antidepressant medication for 6 months (paroxetine 10–50 mg per day, or buproprion for participants not tolerating paroxetine or not improving after 9 weeks of paroxetine); cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for 8 weeks (weekly group or individual sessions; followed by 8 further sessions for non-improvers; participant and therapist manuals adapted from a programme specifically fo...

BACKGROUND Previous meta-analyses of published and unpublished trials indicate that antidepressants provide modest benefits compared to placebo in the treatment of depression; some have argued that these benefits are not clinically significant. However, these meta-analyses were based only on trials submitted for the initial FDA approval of the medication and were limited to those aimed at treat...