Isocarboxazid (Marplan, Marplon, Enerzer) is a non-selective,
irreversible monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) of the
hydrazine class used as an
antidepressant.
Along with
phenelzine
Phenelzine, sold under the brand name Nardil, among others, is a non-selective and irreversible monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) of the hydrazine class which is primarily used as an antidepressant and anxiolytic. Along with tranylcypromine an ...
and
tranylcypromine, it is one of only three classical MAOIs still available for clinical use in the treatment of psychiatric disorders in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
,
though it is not as commonly employed in comparison to the others.
Isocarboxazid is primarily used to treat
mood and
anxiety disorders. It has also been investigated in the treatment of
schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social wit ...
,
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...
and other
dementia
Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affe ...
-related disorders.
Isocarboxazid, as well as other MAOIs, increase the levels of the
monoamine neurotransmitters serotonin,
dopamine,
norepinephrine
Norepinephrine (NE), also called noradrenaline (NA) or noradrenalin, is an organic chemical in the catecholamine family that functions in the brain and body as both a hormone and neurotransmitter. The name "noradrenaline" (from Latin '' ad' ...
,
epinephrine,
melatonin,
phenethylamine in the brain.
[Volz, Hanz-Peter. (November 1998) “Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors A Perspective on Their Use in The Elderly” ''Biochemical Pharmacology'' (5) 341-352.]
Classical MAOIs, including isocarboxazid, are used only rarely due to prominent
food and
drug interaction
Drug interactions occur when a drug's mechanism of action is disturbed by the concomitant administration of substances such as foods, beverages, or other drugs. The cause is often the inhibition of the specific receptors available to the drug, ...
s and have been largely superseded by newer antidepressants such as the
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a class of drugs that are typically used as antidepressants in the treatment of major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, and other psychological conditions.
SSRIs increase the extracellul ...
s (SSRIs). The cause of the interactions is because MAOIs inhibit the
metabolism
Metabolism (, from el, μεταβολή ''metabolē'', "change") is the set of life-sustaining chemical reactions in organisms. The three main functions of metabolism are: the conversion of the energy in food to energy available to run c ...
of dietary amines (e.g.,
tyramine
Tyramine ( ) (also spelled tyramin), also known under several other names, is a naturally occurring trace amine derived from the amino acid tyrosine. Tyramine acts as a catecholamine releasing agent. Notably, it is unable to cross the blood ...
) and the monoamine neurotransmitters. In combination with other drugs that increase the levels of the monoamine neurotransmitters such as the SSRIs, or with certain foods high in dietary amines such as
aged cheese
Cheese ripening, alternatively cheese maturation or affinage, is a process in cheesemaking. It is responsible for the distinct flavour of cheese, and through the modification of "''ripening agents''", determines the features that define many di ...
s, MAOIs can produce dangerous elevations of monoamine neurotransmitters resulting in potentially life-threatening syndromes such as
hypertensive crisis
Severely elevated blood pressure (equal to or greater than a systolic 180 or diastolic of 120—sometimes termed malignant or accelerated hypertension) is referred to as a hypertensive crisis, as blood pressure at this level confers a high risk ...
and
serotonin syndrome
Serotonin syndrome (SS) is a group of symptoms that may occur with the use of certain serotonergic medications or drugs. The degree of symptoms can range from mild to severe, including a potentiality of death. Symptoms in mild cases include high ...
.
See also
*
Hydrazine (antidepressant)
The hydrazine antidepressants are a group of non-selective, irreversible monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) which were discovered and initially marketed in the 1950s and 1960s. Most have been withdrawn due to toxicity, namely hepatotoxicity, ...
References
{{Hydrazines
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors
Isoxazoles
Hepatotoxins
Hydrazides