Impaired regulation of brain serotonin function during dieting in women recovered from depression.

BACKGROUND: Amino acid mixtures that lower brain availability of the serotonin (5-HT) precursor tryptophan produce acute depressive relapse in women with a history of major depression. Dieting also lowers brain tryptophan availability, but its effects on brain 5-HT function in recovered depressed wo...

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Main Authors: Smith, K, Williams, C, Cowen, P
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2000
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author Smith, K
Williams, C
Cowen, P
author_facet Smith, K
Williams, C
Cowen, P
author_sort Smith, K
collection OXFORD
description BACKGROUND: Amino acid mixtures that lower brain availability of the serotonin (5-HT) precursor tryptophan produce acute depressive relapse in women with a history of major depression. Dieting also lowers brain tryptophan availability, but its effects on brain 5-HT function in recovered depressed women have not been studied. AIM: To test the hypothesis that women with a history of major depression would show impaired regulation of brain 5-HT function during a period of dieting-induced tryptophan depletion. METHOD: Women with and without a history of major depression were placed on a daily 1000 kcal (approximately 4200 kj) diet for three weeks. Before the diet and in the final week we measured fasting plasma tryptophan levels and the prolactin response to an intravenous tryptophan challenge. RESULTS: Dieting lowered plasma tryptophan levels equivalently in women with and without a history of depression. In women without a history of depression, dieting also increased the prolactin response to tryptophan. This increase did not occur in women with a history of depression. CONCLUSIONS: Women with a history of depression showed impaired regulation of brain 5-HT function in response to dieting.
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spelling oxford-uuid:2300d668-a304-43bb-8c8b-bfad42bbe5a42022-03-26T11:41:49ZImpaired regulation of brain serotonin function during dieting in women recovered from depression.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:2300d668-a304-43bb-8c8b-bfad42bbe5a4EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2000Smith, KWilliams, CCowen, PBACKGROUND: Amino acid mixtures that lower brain availability of the serotonin (5-HT) precursor tryptophan produce acute depressive relapse in women with a history of major depression. Dieting also lowers brain tryptophan availability, but its effects on brain 5-HT function in recovered depressed women have not been studied. AIM: To test the hypothesis that women with a history of major depression would show impaired regulation of brain 5-HT function during a period of dieting-induced tryptophan depletion. METHOD: Women with and without a history of major depression were placed on a daily 1000 kcal (approximately 4200 kj) diet for three weeks. Before the diet and in the final week we measured fasting plasma tryptophan levels and the prolactin response to an intravenous tryptophan challenge. RESULTS: Dieting lowered plasma tryptophan levels equivalently in women with and without a history of depression. In women without a history of depression, dieting also increased the prolactin response to tryptophan. This increase did not occur in women with a history of depression. CONCLUSIONS: Women with a history of depression showed impaired regulation of brain 5-HT function in response to dieting.
spellingShingle Smith, K
Williams, C
Cowen, P
Impaired regulation of brain serotonin function during dieting in women recovered from depression.
title Impaired regulation of brain serotonin function during dieting in women recovered from depression.
title_full Impaired regulation of brain serotonin function during dieting in women recovered from depression.
title_fullStr Impaired regulation of brain serotonin function during dieting in women recovered from depression.
title_full_unstemmed Impaired regulation of brain serotonin function during dieting in women recovered from depression.
title_short Impaired regulation of brain serotonin function during dieting in women recovered from depression.
title_sort impaired regulation of brain serotonin function during dieting in women recovered from depression
work_keys_str_mv AT smithk impairedregulationofbrainserotoninfunctionduringdietinginwomenrecoveredfromdepression
AT williamsc impairedregulationofbrainserotoninfunctionduringdietinginwomenrecoveredfromdepression
AT cowenp impairedregulationofbrainserotoninfunctionduringdietinginwomenrecoveredfromdepression