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YOA10160.Pdf ORIGINAL ARTICLE A Dose-Ranging Study of the Effects of Ethyl-Eicosapentaenoate in Patients With Ongoing Depression Despite Apparently Adequate Treatment With Standard Drugs Malcolm Peet, MB, ChB, FRCPsych; David F. Horrobin, DPhil, BM, BCh Background: In depressed patients, low blood levels of scales. In the intention-to-treat group, 5 (29%) of 17 eicosapentaenoic acid are seen. We tested the antide- patients receiving placebo and 9 (53%) of 17 patients pressive effect of ethyl-eicosapentaenoate in these pa- receiving 1 g/d of ethyl-eicosapentaenoate achieved a 50% tients. reduction on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score. In the per-protocol group, the corresponding figures were Methods: We included 70 patients with persistant de- 3 (25%) of 12 patients for placebo and 9 (69%) of 13 pression despite ongoing treatment with an adequate dose patients for the 1-g/d group. The 2-g/d group showed little of a standard antidepressant. Patients were randomized on evidence of efficacy, whereas the 4-g/d group showed non- a double-blind basis to placebo or ethyl-eicosapentaeno- significant trends toward improvement. All of the indi- ate at dosages of 1, 2, or 4 g/d for 12 weeks in addition to vidual items on all 3 rating scales improved with the 1-g/d unchanged background medication. Patients underwent dosage of ethyl-eicosapentaenoate vs placebo, with strong assessment using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rat- beneficial effects on items rating depression, anxiety, sleep, ing Scale, the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale, lassitude, libido, and suicidality. and the Beck Depression Inventory. Conclusion: Treatment with ethyl-eicosapentaenoate at Results: Forty-six (88%) of 52 patients receiving ethyl- a dosage of 1 g/d was effective in treating depression in eicosapentaenoate and 14 (78%) of 18 patients receiv- patients who remained depressed despite adequate stan- ing placebo completed the 12-week study with no seri- dard therapy. ous adverse events. The 1-g/d group showed a significantly better outcome than the placebo group on all 3 rating Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2002;59:913-919 EPRESSION REMAINS an ill- Lipids, most of which are phospholip- ness in which existing ids, constitute 60% of the solid mass of the treatments have limited brain and are absolutely required for nor- efficacy. The most widely mal brain structure and function.5-9 Each prescribed drug, fluox- phospholipid consists of a 3-carbon glyc- Detine hydrochloride, produces a 50% im- erol backbone with a fatty acid, usually a provement in symptoms in only 38% of highly unsaturated fatty acid, attached to the those who start treatment and in only 56% middle (Sn2) carbon.5-9 The Sn2 highly un- of those who complete a full course.1 Other saturated fatty acids may be of 2 common drugs are similar in their effects.2 Tricy- types, n-6 (also known as ␻-6) derived from clic antidepressants and selective seroto- linoleic acid or n-3 (also know as ␻-3) de- nin (SSRIs) and norepinephrine reuptake rived from ␣-linolenic acid. In the brain, the inhibitors are similar in their efficacy.2,3 The main n-6 fatty acid is arachidonic acid, with SSRIs are marginally better tolerated, but much smaller amounts of dihomogamma- the differences are small. On average, for linolenic and adrenic acids. The main n-3 every 100 patients who start treatment, 30 fatty acid is docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), patients receiving a tricyclic compound with much smaller amounts of its precur- during a 6-week trial will stop treatment sors, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and doc- 3,4 From the Swallownest Court compared with 27 receiving an SSRI. Dis- osapentaenoic acid. The metabolic path- Hospital, Sheffield, England continuation rates in ordinary clinical prac- ways are shown in the Figure. (Dr Peet); and Laxdale tice are probably higher. Therefore, novel The fatty acids at the Sn2 position have Research, Ltd, Stirling, approaches to the management of depres- important roles in neuronal signal trans- Scotland (Dr Horrobin). sion are needed. duction processes.5-9 Activation of most (REPRINTED) ARCH GEN PSYCHIATRY/ VOL 59, OCT 2002 WWW.ARCHGENPSYCHIATRY.COM 913 ©2002 American Medical Association. All rights reserved. Downloaded From: https://jamanetwork.com/ on 09/28/2021 in bipolar disorder.18 Eicosapentaenoic acid triglyceride but n-6 Series n-3 Series not docosahexaenoic acid triglyceride was effective in 19,20 18:2 n-6Linolenic Acid α-Linolenic Acid 18:3 n-3 schizophrenia. When a range of ethyl-eicosapentaeno- ∆-6 Desaturation ate dosages was tested in schizophrenia, lower dosages of 18:3 n-6γ-Linolenic Acid Stearidonic Acid 18:4 n-3 1 to 2 g/d were effective, but a higher dosage of 4 g/d was 21 Elongation not. The loss of response was associated with depletion 20:3 n-6Dihomogammalinolenic Acid Eicosatetraenoic Acid (n-3) 20:4 n-3 of the n-6 fatty acid, arachidonic acid, indicating that the ∆-5 Desaturation balance between n-3 and n-6 fatty acids matters. Abnor- 20:4 n-6Arachidonic Acid Eicosapentaenoic Acid 20:5 n-3 mally high or low levels of either fatty acid type may be Elongation associated with malfunction. Because of the biochemical 22:4 n-6Adrenic Acid Docosapentaenoic Acid (n-3) 22:5 n-3 and epidemiological data, we hypothesized that EPA might ∆-4 Desaturation have beneficial effects in depression. Possible effective dos- 22:5 n-6Docosapentaenoic Acid (n-6) Docosahexaenoic Acid 22:6 n-3 ages were unknown, and we therefore conducted a dose- ranging study of the pure ethyl ester derivative of eicosa- An outline of the metabolism of the essential fatty acids. The middle carbon pentaenoic acid in patients who had failed to respond atom of brain phospholipids almost always has an essential fatty acid satisfactorily to standard antidepressant therapy. attached to it. Release of this fatty acid is involved in the phospholipase A2 cycle after activation of various dopaminergic, serotoninergic, and glutamatergic receptors. The main fatty acids in this position in the brain are arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. Dihomogammalinolenic and PATIENTS AND METHODS eicosapentaenoic acids are present in very small amounts but are active signal transduction molecules. PATIENTS Patients were recruited by family physicians who had a special neurotransmitter receptors leads, via a G-protein mecha- interest in depression and experience in conducting clinical tri- nism, to activation of 1 or more of a group of enzymes called als. Approval for the study was granted by the local regional phospholipase A2, which releases the fatty acid from the ethical committees. After full verbal and written explanation Sn2 position. Depending on its specific structure, that fatty of the study, each patient gave written informed consent. Pa- acid may exert 1 or more of many signal transduction ef- tients were of either sex, aged 18 to 70 years, and depressed as indicated by a score of 15 or more on the 17-item Hamilton fects, which regulate ion channels, calcium, cyclic nucleo- 22 tides, protein kinases, and gene function. For normal neu- Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) despite ongoing treatment with a standard antidepressant at an adequate dose. This score ronal functioning, the right balance of fatty acids must be 5-9 was chosen as a level of depression that in the view of the trial present at the Sn2 position. The Sn2 position of phos- investigators caused important impairment of function and there- pholipids is one of the major points in the body where gene fore justified further attempts at treatment. and environment interact. The relevant enzymes are ge- netically determined, but they must work with fatty acids TEST DRUGS provided by the environment.5-9 Evidence has been found that the balance of n-3 and The test drugs were liquid paraffin placebo or pure ethyl- n-6 fatty acids at the Sn2 position may be disturbed in eicosapentaenoate in 500-mg soft gelatin capsules. The pla- depression. Compared with healthy control subjects, cebo and ethyl-eicosapentaenoate capsules appeared identical and were packed and coded by PCI Clinical Services, Bolton, plasma and red blood cells from depressed patients show England, an independent clinical trials packing organization. absolutely low levels of n-3 fatty acids or low levels rela- On entry, patients were randomly allocated by PCI Clinical Ser- tive to the concentrations of n-6 fatty acids. Similar find- vices computer to receive, each morning and evening, 4 cap- ings have been reported in Australia, Japan, Europe, and sules of placebo, 3 capsules of placebo and 1 of ethyl- North America.10-15 Also, low levels of n-3 fatty acids have eicosapentaenoate, 2 capsules of placebo and 2 of ethyl- been found in several of the medical diseases associated eicosapentaenoate, or 4 capsules of ethyl-eicosapentaenoate. The with depression, including cardiovascular diseases.6 Epi- capsules were encased in blister packs and labeled as morning demiological data are consistent with these findings. A and evening doses. PCI Clinical Services had no involvement strong inverse relationship exists between the consump- with the rest of the trial. The patients therefore received pla- tion of n-3 fatty acids in a population and the preva- cebo or ethyl-eicosapentaenoate at dosages of 1, 2, or 4 g/d. lence of both major depression and postpartum depres- TRIAL DESIGN sion.16,17 In individuals, we can construct hypotheses whereby depression-induced changes in diet could lead Patients were randomized on a double-blind basis to 1 of the 4 to biochemical changes in blood. However, it is difficult treatment groups. They underwent assessment by means of 3 to see how depression in a proportion of the population rating scales at baseline and at 4, 8, and 12 weeks.
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