Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T18:04:35.644Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Growth Hormone Response to Clonidine After Recovery in Patients with Endogenous Depression

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

P. B. Mitchell ,
J. A. Bearn ,
T. H. Corn  and
S. A. Checkley
P. B. Mitchell
Affiliation:
The Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill, London School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales
J. A. Bearn
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, Denmark Hill, London
T. H. Corn
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, Denmark Hill, London
S. A. Checkley*
Affiliation:
The Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill, London
*
The Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SES 8AZ
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The growth hormone response to clonidine was measured in ten drug-free recovered patients, seven of whom had previously been tested when endogenously depressed, and compared with the response in ten individually matched controls. In eight of the patients there was an impairment of the growth hormone response, despite clinical recovery, although the hypotensive effect of clonidine in these patients was normal. This is suggestive of a persisting abnormal alpha2-adrenoceptor function in forebrain regions after recovery from an episode of endogenous depression, and may represent a trait marker for this condition.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 152 , Issue 1 , January 1988 , pp. 34 - 38
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Carroll, B. J. (1969) Hypothalamic-pituitary function in depressive illness: insensitivity to hypoglycaemia. British Medical Journal, iii, 27–28.Google Scholar
Carroll, B. J., Feinberg, M., Gredon, J. F., Tarika, J., Albala, A. A., Haskett, R. F., James, N. McI., Krontol, Z., Lohr, N., Steiner, M., De Vigue, J. P. & Young, E. (1981) A specific laboratory test for the diagnosis of melancholia. Archives of General Psychiatry, 38, 15–22.Google Scholar
Carney, M. W. P., Roth, M. & Garside, R. F. (1655) The diagnosis of depressive symptoms and the prediction of ECT response. British Journal of Psychiatry, 111, 659–74.Google Scholar
Cella, S. G., Picotti, C. B., Morese, M., Mantegazza, P. & Muller, E. E. (1984) Presynaptic alphaj adrenergic stimulation leads to growth hormone release in the dog. Life Sciences, 34, 447–454.Google Scholar
Charney, D. S., Heninger, G. R., Sternberg, D. E., Hafsted, K. M., Giddings, S. & Landis, D. H. (1982a) Adrenergic receptor sensitivity in depression. Effects of clonidine in depressed patients and healthy subjects. Archives of General Psychiatry, 39, 290–294.Google Scholar
Charney, D. S., Heninger, G. R., Sternberg, D. E., Hafsted, K. M., Giddings, S. & Landis, D. H. (1982b) Failure of chronic antidepressant treatment to alter growth hormone response to clonidine. Psychiatry Research, 7, 135–138.Google Scholar
Charney, D. S., Heninger, G. R., Sternberg, D. E., Hafsted, K. M., Giddings, S. & Landis, D. H. (1983) Alpha2 adrenergic receptor sensitivity and the mechanism of action of antidepressant treatment. British Journal of Psychiatry, 142, 265–275.Google Scholar
Charney, D. S., Heninger, G. R., Sternberg, D. E., Hafsted, K. M., Giddings, S. & Landis, D. H. (1986) Abnormal regulation of noradrenergic function in panic disorders. Archives of General Psychiatry, 43, 1042–1054.Google Scholar
Checkley, S. A. (1979) Corticosteroid and growth hormone responses to methylamphetamine in depressive illness. Psychological Medicine, 9, 107–115.Google Scholar
Checkley, S. A., Slade, A. P. & Shur, E. (1981a) Growth hormone and other responses to clonidine in patients with endogenous depression. British Journal of Psychiatry, 138, 51–55.Google Scholar
Checkley, S. A., Slade, A. P., Shur, E. & Dawling, S. (1981b) A pilot study of the mechanism of action of desipramine. British Journal of Psychiatry, 138, 248–251.Google Scholar
Checkley, S. A., Slade, A. P., Shur, E., Dawling, S., Glass, I. B., Thompson, C., Corn, T. & Robinson, P. (1984) The growth hormone response to clonidine in endogenous as compared to reactive depression. Psychological Medicine, 14, 773–777.Google Scholar
Checkley, S. A., Slade, A. P., Shur, E., Dawling, S., Glass, I. B., Thompson, C., Corn, T., Robinson, P., Corn, T., Glass, I. B., Burton, S. W. & Burke, C. A. (1985) The responsiveness of central alphaj adrenoceptors in depression. In The Biology of Depression (ed. J. F. W. Deakin), pp. 100 120. London: Gaskell.Google Scholar
Corn, T., Thompson, C. & Checkley, S. A. (1984a) Effects of desipramine treatment upon central adrenoceptor function in normal subjects. British Journal of Psychiatry, 145, 139–145.Google Scholar
Corn, T., Thompson, C., Checkley, S. A., Hoenig, A., Thompson, C., Bridges, P. K., Bartlett, J. R. & Checkley, S. A. (1984b) A neuroendocrine study of stereotactic subcaudate frontal tractotomy. British Journal of Psychiatry, 144, 417–420.Google Scholar
Corn, T., Thompson, C., Checkley, S. A., Hoenig, A., Thompson, C., Bridges, P. K., Bartlett, J. R., Checkley, S. A., Hale, A. S., Thompson, C., Bridges, P. K. & Checkley, S. A. (1984c) A comparison of the growth hormone respnses to clonidine and apomorphine in the same patients with endogenous depression. British Journal of Psychiatry, 144, 636–639.Google Scholar
Eriksson, E., Eden, S. & Modigh, K. (1982) Up- and down-regulation of central post-synaptic alphaj receptors reflected in the growth hormone response to clonidine in reserpine pretreated rats. Psychopharmacology, 77, 327–331.Google Scholar
Glass, I. B., Checkley, S. A., Shur, E. &. Dawling, S. (1982) The effect of desipramine upon central adrenergic functions in depressed patients. British Journal of Psychiatry, 141, 312–316.Google Scholar
Hamilton, N. (1967) Development of a rating scale for primary depressive illness. British Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 6, 278–296.Google Scholar
Horton, R. W., Katona, C. L. E., Theodorou, A. E. Hale, A. S., Davies, S. L., Tunnicliffe, C., Yamaguchi, Y., Paykel, E. S. & Kelly, J. S. (1986) Platelet radioligand binding and neuroendocrine challenge tests in depression. In Antidepressants and Receptor Function (ed. D. L. Murphy). Ciba Foundation Symposium 123, pp. 84 96. London: John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Isaac, L. (1982) In Psychoparmacology of Clonidine (eds H. Lai & S. Fielding). New York: Alan R. Liss Inc.Google Scholar
Katakami, H., Kato, Y., Matsushita, N. & Imura, H. (1984) Effects of neonatal treatment with monosodium glutamate on growth hormone release induced by clonidine and prostaglandin E, in conscious male rats. Neuroendocrinology, 38, 1–5.Google Scholar
Kruhlich, L., Mayfield, M. A., Steele, M. K., McMillen, B. A., McCann, S. M. & Koenig, J. I. (1982) Differential effects of pharmacological manipulations of central alpha, and alphaj adrenergic receptors on the secretion of thyrotrophin and growth hormone in male rats. Endocrinology, 110, 796–804.Google Scholar
Laakman, G. (1980) Beeinflussung der HypophysenvorderlappenHormonsekretion durch Anti depressive bd gesundun Probanden, neurotisch und endogen depressiven Patienten. Der Nervenarzt, 51, 725–732.Google Scholar
Lewis, D. A., Kathol, R. G., Sherman, B. M., Winskur, G. & Schlesser, M. A. (1983) Differentiation of depressive subtypes by insulin insensitivity in the recovered phase. Archives of General Psychiatry, 40, 167–170.Google Scholar
McWilliam, J. R., Meldrum, B. S. & Checkley, S. A. (1982) Changes in noradrenergic neuroendocrine responses following repeated seizures and the mechanism of action of ECT. Psychopharmacology, 77, 53–57.Google Scholar
McWilliam, J. R. Meldrum, B. S. (1983) Noradrenergic regulation of growth hormone secretion in the baboon. Endocrinology, 112, 254–259.Google Scholar
Matussek, N., Achenheil, M. Hippius, H., Muller, F., Schroder, H.-Th., Schultes, H. & Wasilewski, B. (1980) Effect of clonidine on growth hormone release in psychiatric patients and controls. Psychiatry Research, 2, 25–36.Google Scholar
Rudolph, C. D., Kaplan, S. L. & Ganong, W. F. (1980) Sites at which clonidine acts to affect blood pressure and the secretion of renin, growth hormone and ACTH. Neuroendocrinology, 31, 121–128.Google Scholar
Siever, L. J., Uhde, T. W., Silberman, E. V., Jimerson, D. G., Aloi, J. A., Post, R. M. & Murphy, D. L. (1982a) Growth hormone response to clonidine as a probe of noradrenergic receptor responsiveness in affective disorder patients and controls. Psychiatry Research, 6, 171–183.Google Scholar
Siever, L. J., Uhde, T. W., Silberman, E. V., Jimerson, D. G., Aloi, J. A., Post, R. M., Murphy, D. L., Insel, T. R., Roy, B. F. & Murphy, D. L. (1982b) Growth hormone response to clonidine unchanged by chronic clorgyline treatment. Psychiatry Research, 7, 139–144.Google Scholar
Siever, L. J., Uhde, T. W., Silberman, E. V., Jimerson, D. G., Aloi, J. A., Post, R. M., Murphy, D. L., Insel, T. R., Roy, B. F., Murphy, D. L., Thomas, R. I., Jimeson, D. C., Lake, C. R., Uhde, T. W., Aloi, J. & Murphy, D. L. (1983) Growth hormone response to clonidine in obsessive-compulsive patients. British Journal of Psychiatry, 142, 184–187.Google Scholar
Slade, A. P. & Checkley, S. A. (1980) A neuroendocrine study of the mechanism of action of ECT. British Journal of Psychiatry, 137, 217–221.Google Scholar
Spitzer, A. L., Endicott, J. & Robbins, E. (1978) Research Diagnostic Criteria: rationale and reliability. Archives of General Psychiatry, 35, 773.Google Scholar
Suomi, S. J. (1983) Models of depression in primates. Psychological Medicine, 13, 465–468.Google Scholar
Terry, L. C. & Martin, J. B. (1981) Evidence for adrenergic regulation of episodic growth hormone and prolactin secretion in the undisturbed male rat. Endocrinology, 108, 1869–1973.Google Scholar
Van Praag, H. M. (1984) Depression, suicide and serotonin metabolism in the brain. In The Neurobiology of Mood Disorders (eds R. M. Post & J. C. Ballenger). Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.