Studies on biogenic amine metabolizing enzymes (DBH, COMT, MAO) and pathogenesis of affective illness

Some researchers have found that the administration of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) results in increased cortisol secretion in major depressives but not in healthy controls. Other authors observed gender-related differences in cortisol responses to 5-HTP in major depressives. In order to investigate the pituitary/adrenal responsivity to 5-HTP, the authors measured cortisol, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and prolactin (PRL) in 30 healthy controls and in 90 depressed patients; the hormone levels were determined in baseline conditions and 60, 90 and 120 min after 125 mg L-5-HTP (orally, non-enteric coated). We found that healthy men had significantly higher cortisol responses to L-5-HTP than healthy women. In the major depressives with melancholia and/or psychotic features these differences were reversed: women exhibited significantly higher cortisol and PRL responses than men. In the female group the most severely depressed patients had increased cortisol and PRL responses to L-5-HTP. The amplitudes of the cortisol, ACTH and PRL responses to L-5-HTP were significantly and positively correlated. It was concluded that the central serotonergic regulation of ACTH and PRL is significantly different between the sexes and between healthy controls, minor depressives and severely depressed patients.

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Sex‐linked differences in cortisol, ACTH and prolactin responses to 5‐hydroxy‐tryptophan in healthy controls and minor and major depressed patients

Maes

Vandewoude

Schotte

et al. 1989

“…The scatter of COMT activity values among depressed groups led us to investigate the uniform-141 01 ! I 5 12 19 26…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, many studies gave contradictory results. Some authors did not find any difference in COMT activity between healthy and depressed subjects (1 1); others reported higher activity (12) or lower activity (8) of erythrocyte COMT in depressed patients. In a well documented review, Fahndrich et al (13), summarized studies published before the 1980s.…”

mentioning

confidence: 98%

The decrease of erythrocyte catechol‐O‐methyltransferase activity in depressed patients and its diagnostic significance

Karege¹,

Bovier²,

Gaillard³

et al. 1987

Erythrocyte catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) activity was measured in normal and depressed populations before specific medication. In the groups of patients, anxiety and depression scores were evaluated by the AMDP rating scale. The authors found lower enzyme activity in patients with major depression, recurrent and bipolar disorder, depressed, but no change was found in dysthymic disorder when compared to control values. However, there was no relationship between COMT activity and age, anxiety and depression scores of patients. Furthermore, the subdivision into two subpopulations, one with normal COMT activity and another with lower COMT activity, did not make it possible to assign a role to the enzyme in the severity of depression. The enzyme could, however, be considered as a genetic marker of depressive vulnerability.

“…Several studies failed to find significant modification of M A 0 activity in female depressed patients (19) or schizophrenic female patients (for review see Gattaz et al 44) but did so in male patients. Conversely platelet M A 0 activity was found modified in depressed women but not in male patients (45)(46)(47). In some studies sex and age distribution was not mentioned (4,10,16,18,24,30).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Platelet MAO activity in clinical subtypes of depression and DST suppression

Poirier

Mitrani

et al. 1987

Platelet MAO activity was measured in 75 hospitalized depressed patients and in 31 healthy subjects. Plasmas post dexamethasone cortisol levels were examined in 73 patients. Results indicate that higher platelet MAO activity does not occur in all, but only in male major depressed patients. No relationship between changes of MAO activity and specific clinical subtypes was found. Platelet MAO activity is not different between DST suppressors and DST non suppressors. The authors suggest that platelet MAO activity may be related to non specific factors such as sex, age, but not to diagnosis of depression.