A double-blind controlled trial of Fengabine, a GABA agonist, against placebo was carried out in outpatient major depressives. Subjects were treated for up to 6 weeks with Fengabine three times daily, using 900 mg daily in the first week and 1800 mg daily thereafter. A total of 49 subjects were included, of whom 32 completed 6 weeks. Efficacy analyses showed no evidence of superiority of active drug over placebo, and the two groups were closely comparable throughout the study. Fengabine was free of subjective side-effects other than a small number of complaints of nausea and diarrhoea, and some ocurrence of bright yellow urine. There was a substantial incidence of raised liver enzymes: 44 per cent of patients on Fengabine developed some de novo elevation, necessitating early termination of the study. The findings did not support any therapeutic value for this group of GABA agonists in depression.

Three cats were thin despite eating well. Steatorrhoea was confirmed in each by 72-hour fat assimilation tests. Fat digestibility in all 3 increased twofold when the diet was supplemented with pancreatic enzymes, suggesting the possibility of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. However, examination of stained faecal smears gave evidence of both maldigestion and malabsorption of fat, without maldigestion of starch, and only one case had indications of protein maldigestion. In the latter cat, fat digestibility normalised with pancreatic enzyme supplementation and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency was considered likely. However, at post-mortem examination enteropathy and pancreatitis, but not exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, were found. The cause of fat malassimilation in these cats was unknown. The evaluation of malassimilation in cats is difficult because investigative tests used in other species are either unsuitable or have not been evaluated in cats.

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