Terao T, Nakamura J, Yoshimura R, Ohmori O, Takahashi N, Kojima H, Soeda S, Shinkai T, Nakano H, Okuno T
Department of Psychiatry, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, Yahatanishi-ku, 807-8555, Kitakyushu, Japan.
Psychiatry Res. 2000 Oct 30;96(2):167-73. doi: 10.1016/s0165-1781(00)00197-9.
We investigated the effect of cholesterol on serotonergic receptor function in 20 healthy male and 10 healthy female subjects using cortisol responses to meta-chlorophenylpiperazine (m-CPP) neuroendocrine challenge tests. M-CPP, a metabolite of the antidepressant trazodone, has been widely used in psychopharmacology research as a probe of serotonin function. In the human brain, m-CPP binds both to various serotonergic receptors, mainly 5-HT(2C), and to alpha(2)-adrenoceptors. After an overnight fast, the subjects received m-CPP (0.5 mg/kg) or identical placebo capsules orally in a randomized, double blind, crossover design. Blood was obtained for measurement of cholesterol and cortisol. In some analyses, especially in males, there were significant positive correlations between serum cholesterol levels and cortisol responses. These findings suggest the possibility that serum cholesterol levels may be positively associated with serotonergic receptor function. The existence of such an association may provide an explanation for reported increases in depression, suicide and violence in individuals with low or lowered cholesterol.
我们在20名健康男性和10名健康女性受试者中，利用对间氯苯哌嗪（m-CPP）神经内分泌激发试验的皮质醇反应，研究了胆固醇对血清素能受体功能的影响。M-CPP是抗抑郁药曲唑酮的一种代谢产物，作为血清素功能的探针，已广泛应用于精神药理学研究。在人类大脑中，m-CPP既与各种血清素能受体结合，主要是5-HT(2C)，也与α(2)-肾上腺素能受体结合。经过一夜禁食后，受试者以随机、双盲、交叉设计口服m-CPP（0.5毫克/千克）或相同的安慰剂胶囊。采集血液用于测量胆固醇和皮质醇。在一些分析中，尤其是在男性中，血清胆固醇水平与皮质醇反应之间存在显著的正相关。这些发现表明，血清胆固醇水平可能与血清素能受体功能呈正相关。这种关联的存在可能为胆固醇水平低或降低的个体中抑郁症、自杀和暴力行为增加的报道提供一种解释。
