M. J. A. J. M. Hoes: The antistress effect of pyridoxine, L-tryptophan and zincsulphate in depression measured clinically and by the excretion of HVA and VMA in urine
Depression, anxiety, hyperventilation and occipital headache were scored on a five point scale; and the excretion in 24 hours urine of homovanillic acid (HVA) and vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) was measured in depressive patients, before and after four weeks of treatment. Treatment consisted in pyridoxine 3 dd 125 mg (N = 10), or pyridoxine 3 dd 125 mg + L-tryptophan 2 grams vespere (N = 12) or pyridoxine 3 dd 125 mg + zincsulphate 3 dd 50 mg (N = 5).
Before treatment the clinical scores were elevated in all three groups, while the HVA and VMA excretion was not abnormal. Clinical symptomatology improved in all three groups as significantly (p ≤ 0,05). Pyridoxine lowered the HVA (p ≤ 0,15) and VMA excretion (p ≤ 0,40); pyridoxine + L-tryptophan lowered HVA (p ≤ 0,025) and VMA excretion (p ≤ 0,025) significantly, while pyridoxine + zincsulphate lowered the HVA (p ≤ 0,15) but elevated the VMA excretion (p ≤ 0,20).
The results are discussed in relation to the adaptation to the stress imposed on depressive patients.
The pyridoxine + L-tryptophan treatment improved the biological stress parameters mostly. Pyridoxine and zincsulphate seems to enlarge the biological stress response reserve.