title: Differences in beta-adrenergic receptor sensitivity between women and men with panic disorder.
abstract: This study was conducted on patients with panic disorder (PD) to examine the gender differences in the pathophysiology of PD by evaluating and comparing the value of CD(25)/wt, the chronotropic 25 dose of isoproterenol (CD(25)) divided by the body weight, which reflects the in vivo index of beta-adrenergic receptor sensitivity. This study included a total of 70 subjects, including 35 patients with PD (female: 13, male: 22) along with 35 healthy control subjects (female: 13, male: 22). There were significant differences in the mean value of CD(25)/wt (0.073+/-0.045 microg/kg vs. 0.032+/-0.019 microg/kg; p=0.006) and the serum epinephrine (EPI) level (77.3+/-64.1 pg/ml vs. 31.6+/-10.3 pg/ml; p=0.001) between the female panic patients and the female control subjects. However, there were no differences in either the CD(25)/wt value or the EPI level between the male panic patients and the male control subjects. These results suggest that the beta-adrenergic receptor sensitivity decreased in the female patients, but not in the male patients, which provides evidence for the possible existence of a gender difference in the pathophysiology of PD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 50 Ilwon-Dong, Gangnam-Gu, Seoul 135-710, South Korea.
authors.forename: Youl-Ri
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sung Kil
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Bum-Hee
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D000328:Adult; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000097:blood; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007545:Isoproterenol; D008297:Male; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000187:drug effects*; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D002395:Catecholamines; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; D007545:Isoproterenol