Depression and remoteness from health services in South Australia.

Objective: To determine whether the prevalence of depression, its associated quality of life, treatment and mental health literacy about depression varied according to accessibility to health services.

Design: Face-to-face interviews with a random and representative sample of the South Australian population (aged >or= 15 years) were conducted between March and June 2004, with the respondents stratified using the Accessibility and Remoteness Index of Australia into categories of 'highly accessible', 'accessible', and 'moderately accessible and remote'.

Results: From 4700 households selected, 3015 participants were interviewed (65.

Oral L-carnitine: metabolite formation and hemodialysis.

L-Carnitine has important roles in intermediary metabolism and patients with end-stage renal disease who are undergoing hemodialysis may develop a secondary L-carnitine deficiency. The extent of accumulation of the metabolites trimethylamine and trimethylamine-N-oxide when L-carnitine is administered orally has not been investigated previously in this population. Oral L-carnitine at a dose of 1 g daily was administered for twelve days to six patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing hemodialysis thrice weekly.

Double depression: its morbidity and management in a community setting.

Background: Double depression, the combination of major depression and dysthymia, is associated with poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and increased health service utilization.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of double depression, its associated morbidity and use of health services and antidepressants.

Methods: A random and representative sample of the South Australian general population was interviewed.

Disposition and metabolite kinetics of oral L-carnitine in humans.

The pharmacokinetics of L-carnitine and its metabolites were investigated in 7 healthy subjects following the oral administration of 0, 0.5, 1, and 2 g 3 times a day for 7 days. Mean plasma concentrations of L-carnitine across an 8-hour dose interval increased significantly (P < .

Accumulation of trimethylamine and trimethylamine-N-oxide in end-stage renal disease patients undergoing haemodialysis.

Background: Trimethylamine (TMA) is a short-chain tertiary aliphatic amine that is derived from the diet either directly from the consumption of foods high in TMA or by the intake of food high in precursors to TMA, such as trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMNO), choline and L-carnitine. The clinical significance of TMA may be related to its potential to contribute to neurological toxicity and 'uraemic breath' in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

Methods: Concentrations of TMA and TMNO in plasma from 10 healthy adults (not on haemodialysis) and 10 adults with ESRD undergoing haemodialysis (pre- and post-dialysis) were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Trimethylamine: metabolic, pharmacokinetic and safety aspects.

Trimethylamine (TMA) is a volatile tertiary aliphatic amine that is derived from the diet either directly from the consumption of foods containing TMA, or by the intake of food containing precursors to TMA such as trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMNO), choline and L-carnitine. Following oral absorption in humans, TMA undergoes efficient N-oxidation to TMNO, a reaction catalyzed by the flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO) isoform 3 enzyme. TMNO subsequently undergoes excretion in the urine, although, evidence also suggests that metabolic retro-reduction of TMNO can occur.