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Multicompartmental analysis of amino acids: II. Tryptophan in affective disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

David M. Shaw ,
Simon F. Tidmarsh ,
Anthony L. Johnson ,
Alexandros C. Michalakeas ,
Graham J. Riley ,
Richard Blazek  and
Antony F. Francis
David M. Shaw*
Affiliation:
From the Biochemical Psychiatry Laboratory, Department of Psychological Medicine, Welsh National School of Medicine, Whitchurch Hospital, Cardiff, and the MRC Statistical Research and Services Unit, University College Hospital Medical School, London
Simon F. Tidmarsh
Affiliation:
From the Biochemical Psychiatry Laboratory, Department of Psychological Medicine, Welsh National School of Medicine, Whitchurch Hospital, Cardiff, and the MRC Statistical Research and Services Unit, University College Hospital Medical School, London
Anthony L. Johnson
Affiliation:
From the Biochemical Psychiatry Laboratory, Department of Psychological Medicine, Welsh National School of Medicine, Whitchurch Hospital, Cardiff, and the MRC Statistical Research and Services Unit, University College Hospital Medical School, London
Alexandros C. Michalakeas
Affiliation:
From the Biochemical Psychiatry Laboratory, Department of Psychological Medicine, Welsh National School of Medicine, Whitchurch Hospital, Cardiff, and the MRC Statistical Research and Services Unit, University College Hospital Medical School, London
Graham J. Riley
Affiliation:
From the Biochemical Psychiatry Laboratory, Department of Psychological Medicine, Welsh National School of Medicine, Whitchurch Hospital, Cardiff, and the MRC Statistical Research and Services Unit, University College Hospital Medical School, London
Richard Blazek
Affiliation:
From the Biochemical Psychiatry Laboratory, Department of Psychological Medicine, Welsh National School of Medicine, Whitchurch Hospital, Cardiff, and the MRC Statistical Research and Services Unit, University College Hospital Medical School, London
Antony F. Francis
Affiliation:
From the Biochemical Psychiatry Laboratory, Department of Psychological Medicine, Welsh National School of Medicine, Whitchurch Hospital, Cardiff, and the MRC Statistical Research and Services Unit, University College Hospital Medical School, London
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr D. M. Shaw, Biochemical Psychiatry Laboratory, Department of Psychological Medicine, Welsh National School of Medicine, Whitchurch Hospital, Cardiff CF4 7XB.
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Synopsis

Two of the tryptophan pools in the body and their associated fluxes, as defined by multicompartmental analysis, were studied in patients with unipolar affective disorder, bipolar patients (manic) and control subjects. The 2 pools were tentatively associated with extra- and intracellular compartments. The investigations were performed fasting and may have been mildly stressful. Under these conditions the concentration of tryptophan in plasma and perhaps amounts in the extracellular space were reduced in unipolar depression, with intermediate values after recovery. Some model parameters were lower in females than males. The results in unipolar affective disorder were interpreted in terms of a previously presented hypothesis that this illness may result in an idiosyncratic response to stress in which patients are unable to maintain normal amounts of tryptophan in the body. In manic patients extracellular levels of tryptophan were unchanged but intracellular and total quantities of ‘freely available’ tryptophan may have been reduced.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 8 , Issue 3 , August 1978 , pp. 487 - 494
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1978

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