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Growth hormone response in patients with depression
Author(s) -
Matussek N.,
Laakmann G.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1981.tb00714.x
Subject(s) - postsynaptic potential , desipramine , clonidine , phentolamine , medicine , endocrinology , depression (economics) , endogeny , receptor , psychology , antidepressant , macroeconomics , hippocampus , economics
We interpreted our previous findings obtained with clonidine in depressive patients to indicate that in endogenous depressive patients ‐ in contrast to neurotic depressive patients and controls ‐ there is a reduced sensitivity of postsynaptic α‐adrenergic receptors or of structures related to them. In the present study, after desipramine (DMI) (75 mg i.m.), endogenous depressives show a significantly reduced growth hormone (HGH) response as compared to neurotic depressive patients and to controls. The HGH response to DMI can be blocked by pretreatment with the α‐blocker phentolamine (30 and 60 mg i.v.). Therefore we assume that in the DMI test, postsynaptic α‐receptors are involved, thus giving further evidence for the importance of postsynaptic α‐receptors in depression.