Effects of citalopram on blood pressure control in depressive patients with hypertension: A randomized clinical trial

Introduction

Since there is a bi-directional interaction between hypertension and depression, we aimed to evaluate the effects of citalopram administration in the management of hypertension.

Methods

A randomized clinical trial was conducted on 72 patients with concomitant depression and hypertension. The intervention group (n=41) received citalopram 20 mg daily plus anti-hypertensive standard treatment, while the control group (n=31) received only the standard treatment. The study's primary endpoint was in-office blood pressure (BP) measurement at baseline and home BP monitoring in the first and second months after entering the study.

Results

There were no significant differences in baseline systolic BP (163.3±19.6 vs.164.2±20.3 mm Hg; P=0.910) and diastolic BP (94.5±13.8 vs. 88.2±14.4; P=0.071). After one month, diastolic BP (82.7±11.7 vs. 77.09±12.2; P=0.023) was significantly higher in the control group compared to the intervention group. Two months after the intervention, systolic BP (133.8±16.5 vs. 124.5±12.4; P=0.009) and diastolic BP (80.7±10.3 vs. 73.7±9.7; P=0.002) were significantly decreased in the intervention group compared to the control group.

Conclusion

This study supported the beneficial effects of citalopram in lowering BP in patients with concomitant depression and hypertension.

Bipolar disorder: evidence for a major locus

Complex segregation analyses were conducted on families of bipolar I and bipolar II probands to delineate the mode of inheritance. The probands were ascertained from consecutive referrals to the Mood Disorder Service, University Hospital, University of British Columbia and diagnosed by DSM-III-R and Research Diagnostic Criteria. Data were available on over 1,500 first-degree relatives of the 186 Caucasian probands. The purpose of the analyses was to determine if, after correcting for age and birth cohort, there was evidence for a single major locus. Five models were fit to the data using the statistical package SAGE: i) dominant, ii) recessive, iii) arbitrary mendelian inheritance, iv) environmental, and v) no major effects. A single dominant, mendelian major locus was the best fitting of these models for the sample of bipolar I and II probands when only bipolar relatives were defined as affected (polygenic inheritance could not be tested). Adding recurrent major depression to the diagnosis "affected" for relatives reduced the evidence for a major locus effect. Our findings support the undertaking of linkage studies and are consistent with the analyses of the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) Collaborative Study data by Rice et al. (Arch Gen Psychiatry 44: 441-447, 1987) and Blangero and Elston (Genet Epidemiol 6:221-227, 1989).

Genetic resistance to two Marek's disease viruses and its relationship to production traits in chickens

Genetic variability of resistance to Marek's Disease (MD), and relationships between MD incidence and egg production traits were studied in 23 genetic groups of experimental and commercial meat and egg chickens. In the challenge tests, chickens were injected with either moderately virulent BC-1 MD virus (BC-1) or highly virulent RB-1B MD virus (RB-1B). In the 497-d egg-production test, sisters of challenged birds were vaccinated for MD on the day of hatch and there were no outbreaks of MD. Heritabilities for MD incidence, MD mortality, and total mortality in the challenge tests, based on data from three unselected control strains of Leghorns were generally low (0.06, 0.13 and 0.20) with BC-1. With RB-1B, the heritability estimates were significantly (P <.05) higher (0.62, 1.00 and 0.96). Intraclass correlations, based on variation between and within the genetic groups were also higher with RB-1B. In the test with BC-1 there were deaths from an early mortality syndrome (EMS) prior to development of MD. Losses from EMS in Leghorns were highest in 2 genetic groups most resistant to MD. Based on genetic group means, correlations between MD incidence and egg production and egg weight were high and negative. In contrast the correlations between MD incidence, age at first egg, total blood spots, and egg specific gravity tended to be positive. No consistent relationships were found with adult body weight. Key words: Marek's disease, genetic resistance, heritability, genetic correlations, production traits, chickens

Inbreeding and heterosis effects on quantitative traits in a White Leghorn population under long-term reciprocal recurrent selection

1. Inbreeding and heterosis effects for quantitative traits were estimated in two White Leghorn lines selected with reciprocal recurrent selection (RRS) since 1950. 2. Pedigreed progeny were produced from full-sib, half-sib and unrelated pure line as well as reciprocal cross line matings to estimate inbreeding and heterosis effects "within sires". 3. Inbreeding effects estimated as linear regressions agreed well with estimates considering inbreeding as fixed effect. The inbreeding depression per 10% inbreeding was highest for hatchability (6-7%), intermediate for production-related traits (3%), and about 1% for shell quality, body weight and egg weight. 4. Heterosis effects were estimated by comparing pure line and cross line progeny of the same sires. 5. Results indicate considerably less heterosis for egg production than found earlier, which is interpreted as a consequence of pure line selection.