The effect of Citalopram ( Celexa ) on gene expression profile of Alzheimer lymphocytes.

Antidepressants are widely used in the treatment of mood disorders associated with dementia, however little information is available on their effect at the molecular level. In certain neurodegenerative disorders, such as in Alzheimer's disease, lymphocytes have been used to assess mirror changes that thought to occur in the brain. Gene expression profiles of lymphocytes from Alzheimer patients have been shown to differ from that seen with controls. To address this issue in light of antidepressant treatment, we used lymphocytes derived from Alzheimer's disease patients and control individuals to assess the impact of the selective serotonine reuptake inhibitor Citalopram ( Celexa ) on gene expression using a cDNA microarray representing 3200 distinct human genes. Sequences that are differentially regulated after treatment with Citalopram ( Celexa ) were identified and categorized based on similarities in biological functions. This analysis revealed that the overexpression of genes in control and Alzheimer white blood cells by Citalopram ( Celexa ) are implicated in cell survival. Apart from this, Citalopram ( Celexa ) did not markedly alter genes involved in other molecular functions in control cells. In contrast, alteration of genes implicated in ionic currents, cell-adhesion, immune mechanism, and adrenergic functions, were also observed in Alzheimer lymphocytes. The expression of genes of Alzheimer lymphocytes by Citalopram ( Celexa ) is modulated differently which may correlate with the pathology.

Citalopram ( Celexa ) concentrations in samples from autopsies and living persons.

Concentrations of Citalopram ( Celexa ) in medicolegal samples from 92 autopsies and 27 living persons are described. In autopsy cases in which Citalopram ( Celexa ) alone was the cause of death, concentrations ranged from 2.0 to 6.2 mg/kg whole blood. In autopsy cases in which Citalopram ( Celexa ) together with other substances was considered to be the cause of death, the concentrations of Citalopram ( Celexa ) ranged from 0.6 to 5.2 mg/kg whole blood. In autopsy cases toxic concentrations ranged from 0.4 to 0.9 mg/kg whole blood and therapeutic concentrations from 0.03 to 0.6 mg/kg whole blood. In samples from living persons the concentrations of Citalopram ( Celexa ) in whole blood were 0.02 to 0.3 mg/kg.

Enantiomeric separation of Citalopram ( Celexa ) and its metabolites by capillary electrophoresis.

A simple and fast capillary electrophoretic method has been developed for the enantioselective separation of Citalopram ( Celexa ) and its main metabolites, namely N-desmethylCitalopram ( Celexa ) and N,N-didesmethylCitalopram ( Celexa ), using beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) sulfate as the chiral selector. For method optimisation several parameters were investigated, such as CD and buffer concentration, buffer pH, and capillary temperature. Baseline enantioseparation of the racemic compounds was achieved in less than 6 min using a fused-silica capillary, filled with a background electrolyte consisting of a 35 mM phosphate buffer at pH 2.5 supplemented with 1% w/v beta-CD sulfate and 0.05% w/v beta-CD at 25 degrees C and applying a voltage of -20 kV. A fast separation method for Citalopram ( Celexa ) was also optimized and applied to the analysis of pharmaceutical formulations. Racemic Citalopram ( Celexa ) was resolved in its enantiomers in less than 1.5 min using short-end injection (8.5 cm, effective length) running the experiments in a background electrolyte composed of a 25 mM citrate buffer at pH 5.5 and 0.04% w/v beta-CD sulfate at a temperature of 10 degrees C.

A retrospective study of Citalopram ( Celexa ) in adolescents with depression.

Recent evidence suggests that the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are safe and efficacious in treating juveniles with depression. However, Citalopram ( Celexa ) has not been reported in adolescents with depression. This study assessed the effectiveness and tolerability of Citalopram ( Celexa ) in all adolescents with depressive disorders treated naturalistically in a community mental health center during a 1-year interval. Medical charts were retrospectively reviewed for 21 adolescents treated with Citalopram ( Celexa ) for major depression (n = 14), bipolar depression (n = 4), or dysthymia (n = 3). An independent rater compared last visit to baseline depression using the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) Severity and Improvement scales. Adolescents received Citalopram ( Celexa ) for an average of 128.5 +/- 84 days at a final average dose of 26.5 +/- 13.1 mg/day. Sixteen of these 21 adolescents (76%) exhibited much to very much improvement as measured by the CGI, and severity of depression diminished significantly (z = 3.007, p < 0.0026). Mild side effects, including headaches, dizziness, nausea, sedation, agitation, and sweating were reported by 7 (33%) of the patients. These data suggest that Citalopram ( Celexa ) may be effective, safe, and well tolerated in the treatment of adolescents with depressive disorders and that controlled trials are warranted in this population.