Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-cphqk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-10T18:05:36.947Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

5-HT neuroendocrine function in major depression: prolactin and cortisol responses to D-fenfluramine

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

S. B. G. Park ,
D. J. Williamson  and
P. J. Cowen
S. B. G. Park
Affiliation:
University Department of Psychiatry, Littlemore Hospital, Oxford
D. J. Williamson
Affiliation:
University Department of Psychiatry, Littlemore Hospital, Oxford
P. J. Cowen*
Affiliation:
University Department of Psychiatry, Littlemore Hospital, Oxford
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr P. J. Cowen, University Department of Psychiatry, Littlemore Hospital, Oxford OX4 4XN.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Synopsis

We studied the prolactin and cortisol responses to the 5-HT releasing agent, D-fenfluramine in 31 drug-free depressed patients and 29 healthy controls, using a double-blind, placebo-controlled design. There was no difference in either endocrine response between depressives and controls. Examining the sexes separately, or restricting comparisons to patients with melancholic depression, did not lead to any differences between the groups. Our findings suggest that in contrast to other 5-HT neuroendocrine probes such as L-tryptophan and clomipramine, the prolactin response to fenfluramine are not consistently blunted in depressed patients.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 26 , Issue 6 , November 1996 , pp. 1191 - 1196
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Anderson, I. M., Ware, C. J., da Roza Davis, J. M. & Cowen, P. J. (1992). Decreased 5-HT-mediated prolactin release in major depression. British Journal of Psychiatry 160, 372–378.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Asnis, G. M., Eisenberg, J., van Praag, H. M., Lemus, C. Z., Friedman, H. & Miller, A. H. (1988). The neuroendocrine response to fenfluramine in depressives and normal controls. Biological Psychiatry 24, 117–120.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Beck, A. T., Ward, C. H., Mendelson, M., Mock, J. E. & Erbaugh, J. E. (1961). An inventory for measuring depression. Archives of General Psychiatry 4, 561–567.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blier, P. & de Montigny, C. (1994). Current advances and trends in the treatment of depression. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences 15, 220–226.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Charig, E. M., Anderson, I. M., Robinson, J. M., Nutt, D. J. & Cowen, P. J. (1987). L-tryptophan and prolactin release: evidence for interaction between 5-HT1 and 5-HT2 receptors. Human Psychopharmacology 1, 93–97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coccaro, E. F., Siever, L. J., Klar, H. M., Maurer, G., Cochrane, K., Cooper, T. B., Mohs, R. C. & Davis, K. L. (1989). Serotonergic studies in patients with affective and personality disorders. Archives of General Psychiatry 46, 587–599.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cowen, P. J. (1993). Serotonin receptor subtypes in depression: evidence from studies in neuroendocrine regulation. Clinical Neuropharmacology 16 (Suppl. 3), S6–S18.Google ScholarPubMed
Cowen, P. J. & Charig, E. M. (1987). Neuroendocrine responses to intravenous tryptophan in major depression. Archives of General Psychiatry 44, 958–966.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Deakin, J. F. W. & Graeff, F. G. (1991). 5-HT and mechanisms of defence. Journal of Psychopharmacology 5, 305–315.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Delgado, P. L., Price, L. H., Heninger, G. R. & Charney, D. S. (1992). Neurochemistry. In Handbook of Affective Disorders (ed. Paykel, E. S.), pp. 219–253. Churchill Livingstone: Edinburgh.Google Scholar
Gartside, S. E. & Cowen, P. J. (1994). 5-HT1A receptors and antidepressant drug action. In Psychopharmacology of Depression (ed Montgomery, S. A. and Corn, T. H.), pp. 66–86. Oxford University Press: Oxford.Google Scholar
Golden, R. N., Hsiao, J. K., Lane, E., Ekstrom, D., Rogers, S., Hicks, R. & Potter, W. Z. (1990). Abnormal neuroendocrine responsivity to clomipramine challenge in depressed patients. Psychiatry Research 31, 39–47.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goodall, E. M., Cowen, P. J., Franklin, M. & Silverstone, T. (1993). Ritanserin attenuates anorectic, endocrine and thermic responses to D-fenfluramine in human volunteers. Psychopharmacology 112, 461–466.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hamilton, M. (1967). Development of a rating scale for primary depressive illness. British Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology 6, 278–296.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lichtenberg, P., Shapira, B., Gillon, D., Kindler, S., Cooper, T. B., Newman, M. E. & Lerer, B. (1992). Hormone responses to fenfluramine and placebo challenge in endogenous depression. Psychiatric Research 43, 137–146.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lopez-Ibor, J. J., Saiz-Ruiz, J. & Moral-Iglesais, L. (1989). Neuroendocrine challenges in the diagnosis of depressive disorders. British Journal of Psychiatry 154 (Suppl 4), 73–76.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maes, M., Jacobs, M.-P., Suy, E., Minner, B. & Raus, J. (1989). Cortisol, ACTH, prolactin and beta-endorphin responses to fenfluramine administration in major depressed patients. Neuropsychobiology 21, 192–196.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maes, M., D'Hondt, P., Suy, E., Minner, B., Vandervorst, C. & Raus, J. (1991). HPA-axis hormones and prolactin responses to dextro-fenfluramine in depressed patients and healthy controls. Progress in Neuropsychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry 15, 781–790.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mitchell, P. & Smythe, G. (1990). Hormonal responses to fenfluramine in depressed and control subjects. Journal of Affective Disorders 19, 43–51.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
O'Keane, V. & Dinan, T. G. (1991). Prolactin and cortisol responses to D-fenfluramine in major depression: evidence for diminished responsivity of central serotonergic function. American Journal of Psychiatry 148, 1009–1015.Google ScholarPubMed
Park, S. B. G. & Cowen, P. J. (1995). Effect of pindolol on the prolactin response to D-fenfluramine. Psychopharmacology 118, 471–474.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Power, A. C. & Cowen, P. J. (1992). Neuroendocrine challenge tests: assessment of 5-HT function in anxiety and depression Molecular Aspects of Medicine 13, 205–220.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Richards, R. P., Gordon, B. H., Ings, R. M., Campbell, D. B. & King, L. J. (1989). The measurement of D-fenfluramine and its metabolite, D-norfenfluramine, in plasma and urine with an application of the method to pharmacokinetic studies. Xenobiotica 19, 547–553.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Siever, L. J., Murphy, D. L., Slater, S., de la Vega, E. & Lipper, S. (1984). Plasma prolactin changes following fenfluramine in depressed patients compared to controls: an evaluation of central serotonergic responsivity in depression. Life Sciences 34, 1029–1039.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smith, C. E., Ware, C. J. & Cowen, P. J. (1991). Pindolol decreases prolactin and growth hormone responses to intravenous L-tryptophan. Psychopharmacology 103, 140–142.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Targum, S. D. (1990). Differential responses to anxiolgenic challenge studies in patients with major depressive disorder and panic disorder. Biological Psychiatry 28, 21–34.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thompson, P. A., Maes, M. & Meltzer, H. Y. (1994). Effect of the placebo control condition in neuroendocrine challenge studies. Psychiatry Research 52, 317–326.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van de Kar, L. (1991). Neuroendocrine pharmacology of serotonergic (5-HT) neurones. Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology 31, 289–320.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van de Kar, L. D., Urban, J. H., Richardson, K. D. & Bethea, C. L. (1985). Pharmacological studies on the serotonergic and nonserotonin-mediated stimulation of prolactin and corticosteroid secretion by fenfluramine. Neuroendocrinology 41, 283–288.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walsh, A. E. S., Oldman, A. D., Franklin, M., Fairburn, C. G. & Cowen, P. J. (1995). Dieting decreases plasma tryptophan and increases the prolactin response to D-fenfluramine in women but not men. Journal of Affective Disorders 33, 89–97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weizman, A. M., Gil-Ad, I., Tyano, S. & Laron, Z. (1988). Plasma cortisol, prolactin, growth hormone, and immunoreactive beta-endorphin response to fenfluramine challenge in depressed patients. Clinical Neuropharmacology 11, 250–256.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed