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Antidepressant effect of 5-methoxypsoralen: the melatonin synchronizer hypothesis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

G Darcourt ,
P Feuillade ,
Y Bistagnin ,
P Robert ,
D Pringuey ,
M Touari ,
Y Merdji  and
B Bensmaïl
G Darcourt
Affiliation:
Clinique de Psychiatrie et de Psychologie Médicale, Faculté de Médecine, Hôpital Pasteur, 130, avenue de la Voie Romaine, BP 69, 06002Nice Cedex 01, France
P Feuillade
Affiliation:
Clinique de Psychiatrie et de Psychologie Médicale, Faculté de Médecine, Hôpital Pasteur, 130, avenue de la Voie Romaine, BP 69, 06002Nice Cedex 01, France
Y Bistagnin
Affiliation:
Clinique de Psychiatrie et de Psychologie Médicale, Faculté de Médecine, Hôpital Pasteur, 130, avenue de la Voie Romaine, BP 69, 06002Nice Cedex 01, France
P Robert
Affiliation:
Clinique de Psychiatrie et de Psychologie Médicale, Faculté de Médecine, Hôpital Pasteur, 130, avenue de la Voie Romaine, BP 69, 06002Nice Cedex 01, France
D Pringuey
Affiliation:
Clinique de Psychiatrie et de Psychologie Médicale, Faculté de Médecine, Hôpital Pasteur, 130, avenue de la Voie Romaine, BP 69, 06002Nice Cedex 01, France
M Touari
Affiliation:
Clinique de Psychiatrie, Faculté de Médecine, Constantine, Algeria
Y Merdji
Affiliation:
Clinique de Psychiatrie, Faculté de Médecine, Constantine, Algeria
B Bensmaïl
Affiliation:
Clinique de Psychiatrie, Faculté de Médecine, Constantine, Algeria
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Summary

5-methoxypsoralen (5-MOP) stimulates pineal melatonin secretion, and a decrease in dark phase melatonin levels has been described in major depression. As exogenous melatonin has shown synchronizer properties, authors hypothesized that giving 5-MOP would have antidepressant properties.

Twenty-six inpatients meeting the criteria of major depressive disorders were enrolled in a four-week, double blind trial of 5-MOP versus amitriptyline. Clinical improvement was identical in both treatment groups but biological changes were different in each group: 5-MOP patients showed an early nocturnal surge of melatonin levels that was maintained at the fourth treatment week, while melatonin levels remained unchanged in patients treated with amitriptyline.

Keywords

depression5-methoxypsoralenamitriptylinemelatonincortisolbiological rhythms
Type
Original article
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 10 , Issue 3 , 1995 , pp. 142 - 154
Copyright
Copyright © Elsevier, Paris 1995

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