Acute citalopram administration produces correlated increases in plasma and salivary cortisol.
BACKGROUND
Intravenous administration of the selective serotonin (5-HT) re-uptake inhibitor, citalopram, increases plasma cortisol. This would be expected to produce a parallel increase in salivary cortisol concentration.


OBJECTIVE
To find out whether IV citalopram produces correlated increases in plasma and salivary cortisol levels.


METHODS
Twelve healthy volunteers were tested on two occasions receiving either citalopram (10 mg IV) or saline in a double-blind, randomised, cross-over design. Plasma and salivary cortisol levels were measured before and for 150 min after each infusion.


RESULTS
Relative to placebo, citalopram significantly increased cortisol levels in both plasma and saliva. The size of the increases in plasma and saliva cortisol correlated significantly with each other.


CONCLUSIONS
Monitoring changes in salivary cortisol might be a valid and acceptable means of measuring 5-HT-mediated cortisol release.
Bhagwagar
Z
Z
University Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, UK.
Hafizi
S
S
Cowen
P J
PJ
D000328:Adult; D019540:Area Under Curve; D015283:Citalopram / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*
D015283:Citalopram; D006854:Hydrocortisone; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors