Sumatriptan-Induced Growth Hormone Release in Patients with Major Depression, Mania, and Normal Controls (original) (raw)

Neuropsychopharmacology volume 17, pages 258–263 (1997)Cite this article

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess serotonergic function in patients with major depression or mania using sumatriptan, a novel 5-HT1D receptor agonist, as a pharmacological probe in a neuroendocrine challenge paradigm. We studied 18 drug free patients (10 with acute unipolar major depression and 8 with acute mania) who met DSM-IV criteria, and healthy controls. Subjects presented for testing after an overnight fast. After obtaining a blood sample for baseline growth hormone (GH) levels, sumatriptan (6 mg) was given subcutaneously, and further blood samples were collected at half hour intervals for 2 hours. The results showed that GH responses to sumatriptan were blunted in depressed patients but not in manics, compared to healthy controls. There were no differences in basal GH levels between the 3 groups. The results of this study provide further support for the role of serotonergic system in pathophysiology of major depression, but not in mania.

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  1. From the Division of Mood Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
    Lakshmi N Yatham MBBS, FRCPC, MRC.Psych, DPM, (UK), Athanasios P Zis MD, FRCPC, Raymond W Lam MD, FRCPC, Edwin Tam MD, FRCPC & I-Shin Shiah MD

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  1. Lakshmi N Yatham MBBS, FRCPC, MRC.Psych, DPM, (UK)
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  2. Athanasios P Zis MD, FRCPC
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  3. Raymond W Lam MD, FRCPC
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  4. Edwin Tam MD, FRCPC
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  5. I-Shin Shiah MD
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Yatham, L., Zis, A., Lam, R. et al. Sumatriptan-Induced Growth Hormone Release in Patients with Major Depression, Mania, and Normal Controls.Neuropsychopharmacol 17, 258–263 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0893-133X(97)00050-X

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