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[3H]imipramine binding in idiopathic pain syndromes. Basal values and changes after treatment with antidepressants
G Eberhard1, L Von Knorring, E T Mellerup
1Dept. of Psychiatry, Malmö General Hospital, S-214 01 MalmöSweden Dept. of Psychiatry, Umeå University, S-901 85 UmeåSweden Psychochemistry Institute, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 CopenhagenDenmark Ciba-Geigy Company, Med. Dept., S-421 26 Västra FrölundaSweden Dept. of Anesthesiology, Central Hospital, S-651 85 KarlstadSweden.
Abstract:
The binding affinity (Bmax, Kd) of [3H]imipramine to platelet membranes was investigated in 43 patients with a diagnosis of idiopathic pain syndrome. Measurements were carried out prior to and after 6 weeks' treatment with the antidepressants clomipramine or maprotiline (randomized double-blind trial). Before treatment the Bmax was 11% lower (1109 +/- 237 fmol/mg protein) compared to historical control subjects (n = 21, 1240 +/- 390) and comparable to patients with psychogenic pain with affective symptoms (n = 62, 1110 +/- 360) previously measured at the same laboratory. The Kd was 0.5 +/- 0.3 nM comparable to the Kd of the controls (0.6 +/- 0.2). After 6 weeks of treatment the clomipramine group (n = 11) had significantly lower Bmax = 208.5 +/- 286 (P less than 0.001). In the maprotiline-treated patients (n = 18) the Bmax values (1221 +/- 258) tended to increase towards the values of the controls but without statistical significance. No significant statistical correlation was found between initial Bmax values and clinical outcome.