title: Behavioral effects of tryptophan depletion in seasonal affective disorder associated with the serotonin transporter gene?
abstract: There is some evidence that the neurotransmitter serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) may be involved in the pathogenesis of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Short-term tryptophan (TRP) depletion was carried out in 18 drug-free remitted patients who met DSM-IV criteria for SAD. Behavioral effects were measured with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) both 24 h before and 24 h after TRP depletion. Some of the patients showed behavioral responses such as lowered mood, feelings of guilt, loss of interest, agitation, loss of energy, fatigue, social withdrawal, increased appetite, and carbohydrate craving. It was the aim of our study to investigate whether the genotypes of the serotonin transporter gene were associated with symptoms of transient depressive relapse after TRP depletion. In addition, we matched the SAD patients with healthy control subjects to see if alleles and genotypes of the serotonin transporter gene were associated with SAD. High molecular weight DNA was isolated from peripheral blood leukocytes using standard methods. For the 5-HTT receptor gene, a 17-bp repetitive element of intron 2 was genotyped (variable number tandem repeat, VNTR). Alterations in HDRS scores after TRP depletion showed no significant association with alleles or genotypes of the 5-HTT gene, although heterozygotes showed a trend toward increased HDRS scores. The serotonin transporter is known to play a critical role in the termination of serotonergic neurotransmission by sodium-dependent uptake of 5-HT into the presynaptic neuron. The present study in a small group of SAD patients was unable to demonstrate that the 5-HTT gene plays a role in the pathogenesis of SAD or in short-term depressive relapse after TRP depletion.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Psychiatry, University Hospital for Psychiatry, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lenzinger
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Neumeister
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Praschak-Rieder
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gerhard
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Willeit
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sieghart
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Kasper
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hornik
authors.forename: H N
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Aschauer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology; D000368:Aged; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology; D004247:DNA / Q000097:blood; D005221:Fatigue / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006579:Heterozygote; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D016574:Seasonal Affective Disorder / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012701:Serotonin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D012917:Social Adjustment; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D020080:Tandem Repeat Sequences / Q000235:genetics; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000172:deficiency*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D012701:Serotonin; D014364:Tryptophan; D004247:DNA