Pharmacopsychiatry 2003; 36 - 173
DOI: 10.1055/s-2003-825424

Substance P and substance P antagonists in the pathology and treatment of affective disorders

K Lieb 1, I Herpfer 1, BL Fiebich 1, M Berger 1
  • 1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Freiburg Medical School, Freiburg, Germany

Substance P (SP) has been shown to be involved in the etiopathology of different clinical conditions such as neurogenic inflammation, pain, asthma and emesis. More recently, SP has been postulated to be involved in the etiopathology of affective disorders. This talk summarises the current research data that support the hypothesis that SP has depressiogenic properties (1). Furthermore, clinical data on the treatment of affective disorders by substance P receptor antagonists (SPAs) will be presented (2). The talk also summarises data from ongoing research projects which focus on the modulation of SP receptor by mood stabilising agents such as valproic acid, the interaction of SP and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis and the modulation of substance P induced gene expression by psychopharmacological agents.

Lieb, K. et al. J Neurochem. 86 (2003) 69–76; World J Biol Psychiatry 4 (2003) 56–63

Kramer, M. et al. Science 281 (1998) 1641–45; Kramer et al. (in press)