Authors: Richard J Porter Peter Gallagher Stuart Watson Allan H Young
Publish Date: 2004/03/09
Volume: 173, Issue: 1-2, Pages: 1-17
Abstract
Electronic searches were performed for relevant papers employing MEDLINE and Web of Science To focus the review we selected only those articles involving i assessment of serotonergic function following experimental manipulation of the HPA axis in healthy volunteers and ii assessment of both serotonergic and HPA axis function in clinically depressed subjectsPretreatment with hydrocortisone both acutely and subacutely attenuates the GH response to GHRH in healthy subjects This complicates the interpretation of 5HT neuroendocrine studies employing GH output as a measure In depression there is evidence that reduced availability of ltryptophan impairs HPA axis feedback There is also evidence that depressed and healthy subjects may adapt differently both to low tryptophan and hypercortisolaemic challenges There is no consistent evidence of a simple relationship between HPA axis function and 5HT function in depressionThe putative reduction in central 5HT function has not been shown to be a direct consequence of hypercortisolaemia Rather the 5HT system and HPA axis have complex interrelationships Challenges to either system such as stress or reduced dietary tryptophan may perturb the other and subjects vulnerable to depression may fail to adapt to such challenges
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