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Effect of folic acid combined with fluoxetine in patients with major depression on plasma homocysteine and vitamin B12, and serotonin levels in lymphocytes.
Plain-language guide to PMID 18716414 (2008): randomized controlled trial of Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12).
Key Facts
- PMID
- 18716414
- Journal
- Neuroimmunomodulation
- Year
- 2008
- Study type
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Authors
- Resler G et al. (8 authors)
- DOI
- 10.1159/000151527
What This Study Did, in Plain Language
What Was Tested
This randomized controlled trial looks at Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12).
Folic acid, a micronutrient supporting the natural defense system, may elevate antidepressant responses, although the lymphocyte serotonergic system has not been explored in folate-supplemented depressed patients.
Who Took Part
By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were young adults, adults and middle-aged adults, both men and women.
Clinical outcome was assessed according to the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) at the beginning, during and at the end of treatment.
Fifteen healthy subjects served as controls.
How the Study Was Run
In design terms this was a randomized and placebo-controlled study.
Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12) and who got the comparison, which limits bias.
A placebo (an inactive look-alike) gave the Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12) group a baseline to be compared against.
Blood samples were taken, plasma was separated, and lymphocytes were obtained by density gradient centrifugation with Ficoll/Hypaque and differential adhesion to plastic dishes.
Plasma folate, homocysteine and vitamin B12, and serotonin concentration in lymphocytes were determined by HPLC.
What Was Measured
PubMed files the paper under topics including Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid, Major Depressive Disorder, Down-Regulation, Drug Synergism, Fluoxetine, Folic Acid and Homocysteine.
What This Means in Plain Language
The paper is a randomized and placebo-controlled study of Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12).
The abstract goes on to report its results in about 4 sentences; this page does not restate them, so read the paper for the findings and their limits.
The publication is from 2008 (Neuroimmunomodulation), a journal based in Switzerland.
More context: the Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12) compound page, all human trials.
Our Notes on the Compound
Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12): A synthetic form of vitamin B12 (cobalamin), an essential nutrient for DNA synthesis, red blood cell formation and neurological function.
Related Pages
Source: PubMed record. This explanation is written by PeptideWhiz from the public record. For research and education only. Not medical advice; no dosing information is given.