title: Concentrations of corticotropin-releasing hormone, norepinephrine, MHPG, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, and tryptophan in the cerebrospinal fluid of alcoholic patients: serial sampling studies.
abstract: Abnormalities in corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) secretion, noradrenergic neurotransmission, and serotonergic activity in the central nervous system (CNS) have all been hypothesized to exist in alcoholic patients, as have abnormalities in hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal function. To test these hypotheses, we continuously sampled cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from alcoholic patients after 38-124 days of abstinence and from normal volunteers via a flexible, indwelling lumbar subarachnoid catheter and measured CRH, norepinephrine (NE), 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG), tryptophan, and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) concentrations at 10-min intervals, from 11:00 through 17:00 h. The spinal canal catheter was inserted at approximately 08:00 h. Serial plasma ACTH, cortisol, and NE concentrations were also measured. A mixed liquid meal was consumed at 13:00 h. CSF CRH concentrations were lower in alcoholic patients than in normal volunteers (26 +/- 15 vs. 60 +/- 30 pg/ml, respectively, p < 0.05 by ANOVA), as were CSF NE levels (0.33 +/- 0.09 vs. 1.15 +/- 0.51 pmol/ml, respectively, p < 0.01). Plasma NE and CSF MHPG levels were normal in the alcoholic patients. CSF tryptophan and 5-HIAA and plasma ACTH and cortisol concentrations did not differ between the groups. These studies extend our finding of reduced spinal canal CSF CRH concentrations in depressed patients to abstinent chronic alcoholics.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn.
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Geracioti
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Loosen
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Ebert
authors.forename: N N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Ekhator
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Nicholson
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Orth
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D008297:Male; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*
chemical_list: D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; D014364:Tryptophan; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone; D009638:Norepinephrine