title: Circadian rhythm of tryptophan, serotonin, melatonin, and pituitary hormones in schizophrenia.
abstract: Circadian rhythm abnormalities have been described mostly with respect to manic-depressive illness; little information is available concerning circadian rhythms and schizophrenia or their influence on neuroleptic drugs. We showed previously that the MESOR of dopamine is higher in schizophrenic patients than in healthy subjects and that women who are drug-free schizophrenic have lower prolactin MESORs and lower amplitudes than healthy women. We now report the data of a cosinor analysis of tryptophan, serotonin, melatonin, and pituitary hormones in the blood of 34 healthy subjects, 90 drug-free schizophrenics, and 25 neuroleptic-treated schizophrenic patients. This data indicated a significant phase advance of serum tryptophan, prolactin, and melatonin concentrations, a trend toward a phase advance in serotonin. Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), and growth hormone concentrations, and decreases in the TSH MESORs among patients compared to healthy subjects. These results suggest that circadian changes, such as phase advances and alterations in MESOR, are not only present in depression but also in schizophrenia. Although neuroleptic treatment raised the prolactin MESOR and amplitude, it did not elicit any change in circadian rhythmicity among the other parameters.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatrische Klinik und Poliklinik, Rheinischen Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Strebel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Halaris
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bräunig
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010907:Pituitary Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D012016:Reference Values; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012701:Serotonin / Q000097:blood*; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D010907:Pituitary Hormones; D012701:Serotonin; D014364:Tryptophan; D011388:Prolactin; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013006:Growth Hormone; D008550:Melatonin