Effects of quetiapine on gonadal axis hormones in male patients with schizophrenia: a preliminary, open study.
OBJECTIVE
The authors investigated the effects of a novel antipsychotic agent, quetiapine administration on hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis hormones in patients with chronic schizophrenia.


METHODS
In this prospective, open-label study, the subjects were nine male inpatients. We tried to switch the patients from typical antipsychotics to quetiapine. The patients took a mean dose of 636.1 mg quetiapine daily for a mean period of 104.7 days.


RESULTS
(i) Although the total Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale score did not show significant changes, no patients needed anticholinergic medications after the switch. (ii) Before the switch, only the prolactin concentration showed a significant difference between the patients and normal subjects. After the switch, neither prolactin nor HPG axis hormone concentrations showed significant differences between the groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Our preliminary results indicated that quetiapine might not affect prolactin and HPG axis hormones at least in chronic schizophrenia patients with normal levels of HPG axis hormones.
Kaneda
Yasuhiro
Y
Psychopharmacology Division, Psychiatric Hospital at Vanderbilt, 1601 23rd Avenue South, Suite 306, Nashville, TN 37212, USA. kaneday@clin.med.tokushima-u.ac.jp
Ohmori
Tetsuro
T
D000328:Adult; D003987:Dibenzothiazepines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000069348:Quetiapine Fumarate; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D003987:Dibenzothiazepines; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D000069348:Quetiapine Fumarate; D011388:Prolactin