Dexamethasone suppression test in schizophrenia: its relation to monoamine metabolism in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.
The metabolic disturbances of monoamine in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis) was examined in patients with chronic schizophrenia showing nonsuppression of the dexamethasone suppression test (DST). Subjects were 16 male chronic schizophrenics consisting of 8 DST suppressors and 8 nonsuppressors. All the patients were orally given the 5HT precursor, L-5-hydroxytryptophan (L-5HTP, 3 mg/kg) and the alpha 2-adrenergic agonist, clonidine (3 micrograms/kg), and the concentrations of plasma prolactin, cortisol, human growth hormone, and blood 5HT were measured chronologically. As a result, all of the DST nonsuppressors showed no increased response of prolactin after L-5HTP loading. Moreover, in the DST nonsuppressors, the secretion response of cortisol after L-5HTP loading was delayed compared with that of the suppressors. However, no different response between the DST suppressors and the nonsuppressors was observed after a loading dose of clonidine. These results suggest that there might be a metabolic disturbance of 5HT in the HPA axis of chronic schizophrenics showing DST nonsuppression.
Kaneko
M
M
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Fukushima Medical College, Japan.
Murata
S
S
Hoshino
Y
Y
Takahagi
K
K
Yokoyama
F
F
Watanabe
M
M
Kumashiro
H
H
D006916:5-Hydroxytryptophan; D000328:Adult; D015306:Biogenic Monoamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D003000:Clonidine; D003907:Dexamethasone; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000378:metabolism*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000378:metabolism*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology
D015306:Biogenic Monoamines; D003907:Dexamethasone; D011388:Prolactin; D006916:5-Hydroxytryptophan; D003000:Clonidine; D006854:Hydrocortisone