A comparative study of the effects of yohimbine and anetholtrithione on salivary secretion in depressed patients treated with psychotropic drugs

Objective: The present study compares the effects of yohimbine, an alpha(2) adrenoceptor antagonist, and anetholtrithione, a reference drug in the treatment of dry mouth, in patients treated with psychotropic drugs (tricyclic antidepressants or neuroleptics) and suffering from xerostomia. Methods: Ten patients were included in a randomized, double-blind, cross-over study, and receiving after yohimbine (3 x 6 mg per day) or anetholtrithione (3 x 25 mg per day) orally for 5 days. Salivary secretion was estimated under resting conditions, before any drug, and then on day 6, 1 h after the ingestion of yohimbine or anetholtrithione. Results: Compared with basal secretion, the increase in salivary flow was significantly more marked after yohimbine than after anetholtrithione. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the sialogenic effect of yohimbine in drug-induced dry mouth.