Antidepressants:
past, present and future
by
Vetulani J, Nalepa I
Institute of Pharmacology PAN,
Polish Academy of Sciences,
Smetna 12, 31-343,
Cracow, Poland
Eur J Pharmacol 2000 Sep 29; 405(1-3):351-363

ABSTRACT

Since the discovery of first antidepressants in mid-1950's, the field has been intensively studied. Several new classes of compounds emerged and several hypotheses on the mechanism of their action were proposed. The novel antidepressants are either selective and reversible monoamine oxidase inhibitors, (e.g., moclobemide), or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (e.g., citalopram or paroxetine), or serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (e.g., venlafaxine). Recently neuropeptides (e.g., thyrotropin-releasing hormone,TRH) or antagonists of neuropeptide receptors (e.g., tachykinin NK(1) receptor) undergo clinical tests. Several hypotheses proposed the predominant involvement of one or few neurotransmitter receptors in the mechanism of antidepressant action, but it is now assumed that several distinct receptor mechanisms' trigger different but converging intracellular signal cascades that activate transcription factors, which, in turn, promote the expression of genes encoding for proteins, that play a crucial role in restoring of neuronal functions involved in mood regulation.

TCAs
SSRIs
RIMAs
Options
Bupropion
Amineptine
Nefazodone
Mirtazapine
Venlafaxine
21st Century
The long wait?
Antidepressants
Chronic depression
Atypical depression
Retarded depression
An individualised approach
Antidepressant metabolism
Old and new antidepressants
Are antidepressants overrated?
Antidepressants and cell growth

Refs
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