Decreased urinary output of tyramine and its metabolites in depression.
Despite dramatic clinical improvement in about one-third of a group of severely depressed, medication-resistant patients one year after modified leucotomy, their relative decrease in conjugated and free tyramine output after an oral tyramine load remained unchanged and abnormal. Whilst a direct deficit in intestinal tyramine-conjugating ability still needs to be finally ruled out, this appears most compatible with a deficit due to bodily metabolic failure, perhaps a deficit in membrane transport which could be an essential aspect of the depressive illness syndrome. Attention is drawn to a similar defect in migraine. The two illnesses may represent a common predisposition which an appropriate triggering mechanism may transform to the florid disease. Biochemical detection of such vulnerability may have important diagnostic and predictive significance.
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003863:Depression / Q000652:urine*; D003975:Diazepam / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009567:Nitrazepam / Q000494:pharmacology; D010648:Phenylacetates / Q000652:urine; D011612:Psychosurgery; D014439:Tyramine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000652:urine*
D010648:Phenylacetates; D009567:Nitrazepam; D003975:Diazepam; D014439:Tyramine