Abstract
The present study reports adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and prolactin responses after oral administration of 0.25 mg/kg of the serotonin agonist, meta-chlorophenylpiperazine (MCPP), in patients with panic disorder (PD) and in healthy subjects. MCPP blood levels were similar for the two groups, but almost twice as high in males as in females. Female patients had augmented ACTH and prolactin release as compared to healthy females, while ACTH and prolactin release in male patients was similar to that of male controls. These results suggest that female PD patients have hypersensitive serotonin receptors. Moreover, they indicate that pharmacokinetic gender differences may affect challenge studies, and that different doses may be required to study neuroendocrine responses in males and females.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 25-34 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Psychiatry Research |
Volume | 37 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Apr 1991 |
Keywords
- Serotonin
- adrenocorticotropic hormone
- meta-chlorophenylpiperazine
- panic disorder
- prolactin
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychiatry and Mental health
- Biological Psychiatry