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Neuroendocrine Effects of Apomorphine: Characterization of Response Patterns and Application to Schizophrenia Research

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

John Rotrosen ,
Burton Angrist ,
Samuel Gershon ,
Jeanne Paquin ,
Laura Branchey ,
Marvin Oleshansky ,
Frieda Halpern  and
Edward J. Sachar
John Rotrosen
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, New York University Medical Center, 550 First Avenue, New York, New York 10016, USA
Burton Angrist
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, New York University Medical Center, 550 First Avenue, New York, New York 10016, USA
Samuel Gershon
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, New York University Medical Center, 550 First Avenue, New York, New York 10016, USA
Jeanne Paquin
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, New York University Medical Center, 550 First Avenue, New York, New York 10016, USA
Laura Branchey
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, New York University Medical Center, 550 First Avenue, New York, New York 10016, USA
Marvin Oleshansky
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, New York University Medical Center, 550 First Avenue, New York, New York 10016, USA
Frieda Halpern
Affiliation:
New York State Psychiatric Institute, 722 West 168th Street, New York, New York 10032, USA
Edward J. Sachar
Affiliation:
New York State Psychiatric Institute, 722 West 168th Street, New York, New York 10032, USA
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Summary

Apomorphine, a direct-acting dopamine agonist, stimulates release of growth hormone (hGH) and suppresses release of prolactin (PRL) from the anterior pituitary. Previous studies comparing the magnitude of these responses in schizophrenics and controls suggest that many acute (and some chronic) schizophrenics have exaggerated hGH responses; many chronic schizophrenics (and patients with tardive dyskinesia) have blunted hGH responses to apomorphine, and possibly blunted PRL responses. The present studies extend and confirm these findings in chronic schizophrenics; in addition, several studies were undertaken to further characterize these apomorphine-induced endocrine responses. Studies in which apomorphine was given on 2 or 3 separate occasions to each of five subjects indicate that the hGH response is a highly reproducible individual index, but PRL suppression is a less satisfactory measure. hGH responses to apomorphine were consistently antagonized by pretreatment with haloperidol, supporting the concept that the hGH-releasing effect of apomorphine is mediated by its action on dopamine receptors. Cyproheptadine pretreatment was associated with erratic increases or decreases in the hGH response to apomorphine, but did not alter PRL levels or apomorphine-induced PRL suppression. The relationship of these findings to biological hypotheses of schizophrenia and to neuroleptic-induced receptor changes is discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 135 , Issue 5 , November 1979 , pp. 444 - 456
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1979 

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