title: Prolactin response to morphine in depression.
abstract: Twenty-two unmedicated inpatients with major depression and 18 healthy volunteers of either sex were given an intravenous injection of 5 mg morphine. Blood samples were drawn immediately before and at intervals for 3 hrs after the injection and assayed for prolactin. Morphine stimulated prolactin secretion. The prolactin response of females was significantly greater than the response of male subjects. There were no significant differences in the prolactin response to morphine between depressed and healthy subjects. The implications of these findings for the hypothesized role of the opioid system in the pathophysiology of depression are discussed.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003907:Dexamethasone; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009020:Morphine; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D009020:Morphine; D003907:Dexamethasone; D011388:Prolactin; D006854:Hydrocortisone