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5-Hydroxytryptamine metabolism in affective illness: the effect of tryptophan administration

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

G. W. Ashcroft ,
T. B. B. Crawford ,
R. L. Cundall ,
D. L. Davidson ,
Janet Dobson ,
R. C. Dow ,
D. Eccleston ,
R. W. Loose  and
I. A. Pullar
G. W. Ashcroft
Affiliation:
From the Medical Research Council Brain Metabolism Unit, University Department of Pharmacology, Edinburgh
T. B. B. Crawford
Affiliation:
From the Medical Research Council Brain Metabolism Unit, University Department of Pharmacology, Edinburgh
R. L. Cundall
Affiliation:
From the Medical Research Council Brain Metabolism Unit, University Department of Pharmacology, Edinburgh
D. L. Davidson
Affiliation:
From the Medical Research Council Brain Metabolism Unit, University Department of Pharmacology, Edinburgh
Janet Dobson
Affiliation:
From the Medical Research Council Brain Metabolism Unit, University Department of Pharmacology, Edinburgh
R. C. Dow
Affiliation:
From the Medical Research Council Brain Metabolism Unit, University Department of Pharmacology, Edinburgh
D. Eccleston
Affiliation:
From the Medical Research Council Brain Metabolism Unit, University Department of Pharmacology, Edinburgh
R. W. Loose
Affiliation:
From the Medical Research Council Brain Metabolism Unit, University Department of Pharmacology, Edinburgh
I. A. Pullar
Affiliation:
From the Medical Research Council Brain Metabolism Unit, University Department of Pharmacology, Edinburgh
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Synopsis

L-tryptophan 50 mg/kg was administered orally to patients suffering from either unipolar or bipolar affective illness, and the concentration of 5-hydroxyindol-acetic acid estimated in their cerebrospinal fluid eight hours later. There was no significant difference between the patient groups or between these and patients with neurological disease. These findings suggest a reduced neuronal activity in the 5-hydroxytryptaminergic system in some depressed patients rather than an absolute deficiency of tryptophan-5-hydroxylase. The synthesis of 5-HIAA in response to tryptophan varied with age.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 3 , Issue 3 , August 1973 , pp. 326 - 332
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1973

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References

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