title: Tryptophan, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid and indoleacetic acid in human cerebrospinal fluid: interrelationships and the influence of age, sex, epilepsy and anticonvulsant drugs.
abstract: Tryptophan, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid and indoleacetic acid were measured in cerebrospinal fluid, taken during pneumoencephalography, from a large series of patients, the majority of whom were epileptics, most of them receiving anticonvulsants. CSF indoleacetic acid reflects CNS tyrptamine metabolism in the same way that CSF 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid reflects CNS 5-hydroxytryptamine metabolism. Our data suggest that (i) the brain tryptophan content is an important factor in the control of both 5-hydroxytryptamine and tryptamine synthesis (ii) brain 5-hydroxytryptamine metabolism exhibits a U-shaped relationship with age (iii) the mean brain tryptophan content and rate of 5-hydroxytryptamine metabolism are greater for women than men (iv) indoleamine metabolism is unaffected in untreated epileptics compared with non-epileptics, but anticonvulsant drugs decrease the rate of 5-hydrosytryptamine metabolism.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D007210:Indoleacetic Acids / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D008297:Male; D012701:Serotonin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D012737:Sex Factors; D014363:Tryptamines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D007210:Indoleacetic Acids; D014363:Tryptamines; D012701:Serotonin; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; D014364:Tryptophan