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Tryptophan and depressive illness

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Alec Coppen  and
Keith Wood
Alec Coppen*
Affiliation:
MRC Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, Epsom, Surrey
Keith Wood
Affiliation:
MRC Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, Epsom, Surrey
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr Alec Coppen, Medical Research Council Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, West Park Hospital, Epsom, Surrey, KT19 8PB.
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Synopsis

Plasma free tryptophan is significantly decreased in monopolar, depressed patients. No evidence was found to suggest that poor nutritional history prior to hospital admission was responsible for these low levels. Factors known to influence tryptophan—albumin binding in plasma, e.g. concentration of plasma proteins, albumin and non-esterified fatty acids, did not account for the low levels of free tryptophan in depressed patients. A significant decrease in plasma free tryptophan levels was found in perimenopausal but not in pre- or post-menopausal female controls. This mirrors the decrease in circulating oestrogens. Although exogenously administered oestrogens do not have any therapeutic efficacy in relieving mild residual depressive symptoms of lithium treated patients, they increased the levels of plasma free tryptophan. Clofibrate also displaces tryptophan from plasma protein binding sites in both depressed patients and controls. Utilization of the increased levels of plasma free tryptophan is reduced in depressed patients. A situation therefore exists in depressed patients where the plasma free tryptophan is not only reduced but also leaves the plasma less readily than in control subjects.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 8 , Issue 1 , February 1978 , pp. 49 - 57
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1978

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