Advances in new fast-acting antidepressants / 中国临床药理学与治疗学

Antidepressants are mainly used to treat mental illnesses. Traditional antidepressants mainly target monoamine neurotransmitters, but these drugs are slow to be effective and cannot meet clinical needs. Recently, therapeutics have been developed that depart from the traditional monoamine hypothesis and focus on the glutamatergic, GABAergic, opioidergic, and inflammatory systems. In recent years, great progress has been made in the development of new antidepressants, some of which have been applied in clinical practice. This article mainly summarizes the research mechanisms and treatment programs of new antidepressants, and briefly reviews common rapid-acting antidepressants.

Nitrous oxide as an adjunctive therapy in major depressive disorder: a randomized controlled double-blind pilot trial

Objective: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is related to glutamatergic dysfunction. Antagonists of glutamatergic N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), such as ketamine, have antidepressant properties. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is also a NMDAR antagonist. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of augmenting antidepressant treatment with N2O. Methods: This double blind, placebo-controlled randomized parallel pilot trial was conducted from June 2016 to June 2018 at the Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo. Twenty-three subjects with MDD (aged 18 to 65, on antidepressants, with a score > 17 on the 17-item-Hamilton Depression Rating Scale [HAM-D17]) received 50% N2O (n=12; 37.17±13.59 years) or placebo (100% oxygen) (n=11; 37.18±12.77 years) for 60 minutes twice a week for 4 weeks. The primary outcome was changes in HAM-D17 from baseline to week 4. Results: Depressive symptoms improved significantly in the N2O group (N2O: from 22.58±3.83 to 5.92±4.08; placebo: from 22.44±3.54 to 12.89±5.39, p < 0.005). A total of 91.7% and 75% of the N2O group subjects achieved response (≥ 50% reduction in HAM-D17 score) and remission (HAM-D17 < 7), respectively. The predominant adverse effects of N2O treatment were nausea, vomiting, and headache. Conclusion: N2O treatment led to a statistically significant reduction in HAM-D17 scores compared to placebo. Clinical trial registration: Brazilian Register of Clinical Trials, RBR-5rz5ch

Research progress of the antidepressants targeting the glutamate receptors / 中国药理学通报

Depression is a worldwide neuropsychiatric disorder. Currently most preclinical and clinical studies of depression focus on monoaminergic system. However, there is growing evidence which suggests that glutamatergic system plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of depression. This review focuses on the de-velopment of new antidepressants that target glutamatergic sys-tem, summarizes the current mechanisms of antidepressants, and also highlights new insights to the pathophysiology of depression.