TY - JOUR
T1 - Serotonergic Function in Depression
T2 - Prolactin Response to Intravenous Tryptophan in Depressed Patients and Healthy Subjects
AU - Heninger, George R.
AU - Charney, Dennis S.
AU - Sternberg, David E.
PY - 1984/4
Y1 - 1984/4
N2 - There is considerable evidence that serotonergic function may be reduced in the brains of depressed patients. Serotonin is an effective stimulant of prolactin release, and intravenous (IV) tryptophan (the amino acid precursor of serotonin), when administered to healthy subjects, produces a reliable and robust increase in serum prolactin level. To evaluate serotonergic function in depressed patients, we gave 25 patients and 19 age- and sex-matched controls tryptophan, 7 g IV. There was a marked blunting of the maximal prolactin response to the tryptophan in both the male and female patients. The patient control differences could not be accounted for on the basis of age, sex, or time without medications. The data provide strong support for a possible serotonergic abnormality in depression.
AB - There is considerable evidence that serotonergic function may be reduced in the brains of depressed patients. Serotonin is an effective stimulant of prolactin release, and intravenous (IV) tryptophan (the amino acid precursor of serotonin), when administered to healthy subjects, produces a reliable and robust increase in serum prolactin level. To evaluate serotonergic function in depressed patients, we gave 25 patients and 19 age- and sex-matched controls tryptophan, 7 g IV. There was a marked blunting of the maximal prolactin response to the tryptophan in both the male and female patients. The patient control differences could not be accounted for on the basis of age, sex, or time without medications. The data provide strong support for a possible serotonergic abnormality in depression.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0021323928&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1001/archpsyc.1984.01790150088012
DO - 10.1001/archpsyc.1984.01790150088012
M3 - Article
C2 - 6703856
AN - SCOPUS:0021323928
SN - 0003-990X
VL - 41
SP - 398
EP - 402
JO - Archives of General Psychiatry
JF - Archives of General Psychiatry
IS - 4
ER -