Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-fscjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T16:24:53.821Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Growth hormone response to clonidine stimulation in depressive states — First part of a two-part study —

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 April 2020

P. Boyer ,
M. Dàvila ,
C. Schaub  and
J. Nassiet
P. Boyer
Affiliation:
INSERM, Clinique des Maladies Mentales et de l'Encéphale 100 rue de la Santé - 75014PARIS, France
M. Dàvila
Affiliation:
Cincinnati School of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, OHIO, U.S.A.
C. Schaub
Affiliation:
INSERM U.159, 2 ter rue d'Alésia75014PARIS, France
J. Nassiet
Affiliation:
INSERM U.159, 2 ter rue d'Alésia75014PARIS, France
Get access

Summary

31 patients presenting a Major Depressive Episode were divided into two groups (endogenous versus neurotic depression), in keeping with the Newcastle criteria (Garside and Roth, 1974). 10 patients were allocated to each group for the realization of a test of growth hormone (GH) response to clonidine stimulation.

The patients received no psychotropes for 8 days prior to the test. Mean age for the neurotic and endogenous groups was respectively 36.67 ± 3.18 years and 44.71 ± 2.56 years. Severity of depression, assessed with the Hamilton rating scale (21 items), was comparable in the two groups (35.35 ± 4.12 versus 39.8 ± 6.13).

The test was carried out in two phases in each patient. During the initial phase, saline was infused over 10 minutes and continuous sampling was realized over a 4-hour period (automatic fraction collector with peristaltic pump), at between 9 AM and 1 PM. 48 hours later, the same procedure was repeated with the addition of 15 µg clonidine. This procedure allowed partial neutralization, for interpretation of results, of the «test apprehension» effect. Assays were carried out by radioimmunoassay (pooled samples), and correspond to real values for 10-minute time intervals (integrated values).

Spontaneous GH secretion in the endogenous group was significantly lower (0.57 ± 0.16 ng/ml) than in the neurotic group (5.03 ± 1.08 ng/ml) and the control group (2.47 ± 0.78 ng/ml). After clonidine stimulation, GH response in the neurotic group was identical to that in the control group. No significant response was observed in the endogenous group. These results confirm those of several previous studies (Matussek, Charney, Checkley, Boyer, Corn, Siever) and seem to indicate hyposensitivity of the post-synaptic α2-adrenergic receptors in endogenous depression. Nevertheless, spontaneous GH hyposecretion in the same patients necessarily involves other mechanisms. The hypotheses concerning these mechanisms will be discussed in the second part of this study.

Résumé

Résumé

31 patients présentant un épisode dépressif majeur ont été répartis en deux groupes (endogène vs réactionnel-névrotique) selon les critéres de Newcastle (Garside et Roth, 1974), 10patients ont été retenus dans chaque groupe pour réalisation d'une épreuve de stimulation de la sécrétion d'hormone de croissance (GH) par la clonidine.

Les sujets étaient sevrés de tout psychotrope depuis 8 jours. La moyenne d'âge du groupe des dépressions névrotiques était de 36.67 ± 3.18 ans ; celle des dépressions endogènes de 44.71 ± 2.56 ans, L'intensité de l'état dépressif apprécié par l’échelle de dépression de Hamilton (21 items) était comparable dans les deux groupes (35.35 ± 4.12 vs 39.8 ± 6.13).

Pour chaque patient l’épreuve a été réalisée en deux temps, Dans un premier temps une perfusion de sérum salé était administrée en 10 mn et un prélèvement continu de 4 heures (collecteur de fraction avec pompe asservie) était réalisé entre 9 h et 13 h. 48 heures après, la même procédure était répétée avec adjonction de 150μg de clonidine. Cette procédure permettait de neutraliser en partie, dans l’interprétation des résultats, l’effet «appréhension de l'épreuve». Les dosages ont été effectués par radioimmunoassay («poolage” des prélèvements) et correspondent à des valeurs réelles pour des intervalles de temps de 10 mn (valeurs intégrées).

La sécrétion spontanée de GH dans le groupe endogène est significativement plus basse (0.57 ± 0.16 ng/ml) que dans les groupes névrotique (5.03 ± 1.08 ng/ml) et contrôle(2.47 ± 0.78 ng/ml). Après une stimulation par la clonidine, la réponse GH dans le groupe des dépressions névrotiques est identique à celle du groupe contrôle. Aucune réponse significative n’est observée dans le groupe des dépressions endogènes. Ces résultats confirment ceux de plusieurs études antérieures (Matussek, Charney, Checkley, Boyer, Corn, Siever) et semblent en faveur d'une hyposensibilité des récepteurs α2-adrénergiques post-synaptiques dans les dépressions endogènes. Néanmoins, d’autres mécanismes doivent être impliqués dans l’hyposécrétion spontanée de GH chez les mêmes patients. Les hypothèses concernant ces mécanismes seront discutées dans la deuxième partie de ce travail.

Keywords

Adrenergic receptorClonidineDepressionGrowth hormoneDépressionHormone de croissanceClonidineRécepteur-adrénergique
Type
Research Article
Information
Psychiatry and Psychobiology , Volume 1 , Issue 3 , 1986 , pp. 189 - 195
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 1986

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

References/Bibliographie

Boyer, B.Schaub, C.Growth hormone response to clonidine stimulation test in depressive states. Neuroendocrinology, L., 1982a; 4:178.Google Scholar
Boyer, P.Schaub, C.Guelfi, J.D.Pichot, P. Growth hormone response to α + stimulation tests in depressive states, Proceedings of the 13th CINP congress, Jerusalem, 1982b; p. 72.Google Scholar
Brown, CSeggie, S.Chambers, J.Ettigi, P.- Psychoendocrinology and growth hormone. Psychoneuroendocrinology 1978; 3:131–155.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Carroll, B.Curtis, G.C.Mendels, J.- Neuroendocrine regulation in depression II. Discrimination of depressed from non depressed patients. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1976; 33:1051–1058.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carroll, B.- In: Psychopharmacology, a generation of progress Lipton, Di Mascio, ed., Raven Press, New York, 1978.Google Scholar
Casper, R.Davis, J.- Neuroendocrine and amine studies in affective illness. Psychoneuroendocrinology 1977; 2:105–110.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Charney, S.A.Heninger, G.R.Sternberg, D.E.Hafstad, K.M.Landis, D.H.- Adrenergic receptor sensitivity in depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1982; 39: 290–294.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Charney, S.A.Heninger, G.R.Sternberg, D.E.- Assessment of α 2 adrenergic autoreceptor function in man. Life Sci 1982; 30: 2033–2035.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Checkley, S.A.- Cortisosteroid and growth hormone response to methyl amphetamine in depressive illness. Psychol Med 1979; 9:107–111.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Checkley, S.A.- Growth hormone and other responses to clonidine in depressive states. Br J Psychiatry 1981; 138: 51–55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Checkley, S.A.Arendt, J.- Pharmacoendocrine studies of GH Prl and melatonin in patients with affective illness. In: Neuroendocrinology and psychiatric disorders, Brown, G. ed., Raven Press, New York, 1984, 165–179.Google Scholar
Corn, T.H. et al.- A comparison of the growth hormone response to clonidine and apomorphine in the same patients with endogenous depression. Br J Psychiatry 1984; 144:636–639.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Endo, M.Endo, J.- In: Psychoneuroendocrinology, Hatotani, ed., Karger, Basle, 1974.Google Scholar
Frazer, A.- In: The psychobiology of depression, Mendels, J. ed., Spectrum Publications, New York, 1975.Google Scholar
Gregoire, F.Brauman, J.Buck, R.Corvilain, S.- Hormone release in depressed patients before and after recovery. Psychoneuroendocrinology 1977; 2: 303–312.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gruen, P.Sachar, E.Altman, N.Sassin, J.- Growth hormone responses to hypoglycaemia in post menopausal depressed women. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1979; 32: 31–35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Halbreich, V.Sachar, E.J.Klein, F.- Growth hormone response to dextro amphetamine in depressed patients and normal subjects. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1982; 39:189–192.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lal, S.Tolis, G.Martin, L.B.Brown, G.A.Guyoa, H.- Effect of clonidine on growth hormone, prolactin, LH, Fsh, and Trh in the serum of normal men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1975; 41:827.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Langer, G.Heinze, G.Reim, B.Matussek, N.- Reduced growth hormone responses to amphetamine in endogenous depressive patients. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1976; 33:1471–1475.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Linkowski, P.- Contribution à l'étude de la chronobiologie neuroendocrinienne des syndromes dépressifs. Thèse d'agrégation, Université libre de Bruxelles, année 1985-86.Google Scholar
Martin, J.B.- Functions of central nervous system neurotransmitters in regulation of growth hormone secretion, Fed Proceedings 1980; 39: 2902–2906,Google Scholar
Matussek, N.Ackenheil, M.Hippius, H.Muller, F.Schroder, H.Schultes, H.Wasilewski, B.- Effect of clonidine on growth hormone release in psychiatric patients and controls. Psychiatry Res 1980; 2: 25–30.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mendels, J.Frazer, A.Fitzgerald, R.G.Ramsey, T. A.Stokes, J.W.- Biogenic amine metabolites in cerebrospinal fluid in depressed and manic patients. Science 1972; 175:1380–1382.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mendlewicz, J.Linkowski, P. et al.- Diurnal hypersecretion of growth hormone in depression. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1985; 60: 505–512.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mueller, P.Heninger, G.Mc Donald, R.- Insulin tolerance test in depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1969; 21: 587.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Roth, M.Garside, R.F.Gurney, C.- In: Classification and prediction of outcome of depression, Angst, J. ed., Verlag, F.K. SchattauerStuttgart, New York, 1974.Google Scholar
Sachar, E.Finkelstein, J.Hellman, L.- Growth hormone responses in depressive illness. Responses to insulin tolerance test. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1971; 25: 263.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sachar, E.Frantz, A.Altsman, N.Sassln, S.- Growth hormone response to destro amphetamine in depressive patients. Am J Psychiatry 1973; 130:1362–1367.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sachar, E.Altman, N.Gruen, P.- Human growth hormone response to levodopa: relationship to menopause, depression and plasma dopa concentration. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1975; 32:502–503.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Siever, L.S.Uhde, T.W.- New studies and perspectives on the noradrenergic receptor system in depression. Biol Psychiatry 1984; 19:131–149.Google ScholarPubMed
Takahashi, S.Kondo, H.Yoshimura, M.Ochi, Y.Yoshini, J.- Growth hormone responses to L 5-Htp infusion in depressive patients. Folia Psychiatr Neurol Jpn 1973; 27: 197.Google Scholar
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.