Am J Psychiatry 1994; 151:1626-1630
Copyright © 1994 by American Psychiatric Association
Neuroendocrine and behavioral responses to intravenous m- chlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP) in depressed patients and healthy comparison subjects
A Anand, DS Charney, PL Delgado, CJ McDougle, GR Heninger and LH Price
Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven.
OBJECTIVE: This double-blind study was undertaken to compare central
serotonergic function in depressed patients and healthy comparison subjects
by examining neuroendocrine and mood responses to intravenous infusion of
the serotonin agonist m-chlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP). METHOD: The
participants were 20 drug-free patients with DSM-III-R major depression and
18 healty comparison subjects. After an overnight fast, the subjects
received an intravenous infusion of mCPP, 0.1 mg/kg, or placebo saline.
Blood was obtained for measurement of serum prolactin, growth hormone (GH),
and cortisol. Visual analogue scales were used to assess mood. RESULTS: The
depressed patients had a blunted GH response and felt less drowsy than the
comparison subjects; prolactin, cortisol, and the remaining behavioral
ratings showed no differences between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: In light
of findings with other provocative agents, the blunted GH response to mCPP
may reflect a defect in GH production in depression and could be a marker
of the depressed state. The lack of differences in the other neuroendocrine
variables suggests that the functioning of postsynaptic serotonergic
receptors responsive to mCPP may be relatively intact in depression.
