title: HPA axis dysfunction in depression: correlation with monoamine system abnormalities.
abstract: Abnormality of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has been one of the most consistently demonstrated biological markers of depressive disorder. It has also been proposed that abnormality of monoamine function plays a role in the pathogenesis of the disorder. In order to examine the interrelationships of the HPA axis with the dopaminergic, noradrenergic, and serotoninergic systems, we studied, in 52 medication-free inpatients with DSM-IV nonpsychotic major depressive disorder, the relationship between dexamethasone suppression test (DST) status and a series of multihormonal responses to apomorphine (APO), clonidine (CLO), and D-fenfluramine (FEN) tests. DST nonsuppressors did not present any difference compared with suppressors in growth hormone (GH) and cortisol stimulation by APO suggesting that a chronic elevation of cortisol did not lead to an alteration of dopaminergic activity in this population of nonpsychotic depressed inpatients. Cortisol and prolactin responses to FEN were comparable in nonsuppressors and in suppressors. In contrast, GH response to CLO was lower in DST nonsuppressors than in suppressors (p < .03), suggesting that the HPA abnormality indicated by a positive DST may be related to alpha 2-adrenoreceptor dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Applied Neuroscience in Psychiatry (FORENAP), Rouffach, France. Fabrice.DUVAL.@forenap.asso.fr
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Mokrani
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Duval
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Crocq
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Macher
mesh_terms: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; D000328:Adult; D001058:Apomorphine; D015306:Biogenic Monoamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D003000:Clonidine; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D005260:Female; D005277:Fenfluramine; D006801:Humans; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
chemical_list: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; D001058:Apomorphine; D015306:Biogenic Monoamines; D003000:Clonidine; D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D005277:Fenfluramine; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors