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Significantly increased urinary free cortisol excretion in melancholic depressed females during L‐tryptophan loading
Author(s) -
Maes M.,
Minner B.,
Suy E.,
D'hondt P.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
human psychopharmacology: clinical and experimental
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.461
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1099-1077
pISSN - 0885-6222
DOI - 10.1002/hup.470050309
Subject(s) - serotonergic , endocrinology , medicine , excretion , tryptophan , melancholia , serotonin , urine , chemistry , glucocorticoid , hydrocortisone , psychology , dexamethasone , receptor , amino acid , biochemistry
To assess the status of serotonergic neurotransmission in depressed females, the authors examined the excretion of free cortisol in 24 h urine both before and after administering 5 g L ‐tryptophan (L‐TRP) orally. The depressed patients were classified according to the DSM‐III into minor, simple major and major depression with melancholia. We found a significant, enhacing effect for L‐TRP on urinary free cortisol (UFC) excretion. The absolute increments in UFC induced by L‐TRP were significantly higher in melancholic females as compared to minor and simple major depressives. We found no differences among the DSM‐III groups in the availability of L‐TRP to the brain, 9 h after L‐TRP administration.