title: Growth hormone and prolactin response to apomorphine in bipolar and unipolar depression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It has been suggested that patients with bipolar disorder may have an increased sensitivity to dopaminergic (DA) compounds. This was investigated by measuring growth hormone (GH) or prolactin (PRL) response to apomorphine (APO), a dopamine receptor agonist, in patients with bipolar depression, unipolar depression and control subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourteen patients in an episode of bipolar depression (BP), 15 in an episode of unipolar depression (UP) and 19 age- and gender-matched control subjects (C) participated. The growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (PRL) responses to subcutaneous administration of 0.005 or 0.008 mg/kg APO were measured over 2 h.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rise in GH was greater with the higher APO dose. Both the GH rise and the PRL fall following APO were similar in BP, UP and C. Neither the GH or PRL responses in BP and UP were affected by successful treatment of the depressive episode.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings do not indicate an altered sensitivity of DA neurones in the hypothalamic-pituitary system in either bipolar or unipolar depression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, PO Box 913, Dunedin, New Zealand. heather.mcpherson@stonebow.otago.ac.nz
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: McPherson
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: Trevor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Silverstone
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001058:Apomorphine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D011388:Prolactin; D001058:Apomorphine; D004298:Dopamine