Lee Royce, Garcia Francisca, van de Kar Louis D, Hauger Richard D, Coccaro Emil F
Clinical Neuroscience and Psychopharmacology Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry (MC#3077), Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, 5841 South Maryland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
Psychiatry Res. 2003 May 30;118(2):129-36. doi: 10.1016/s0165-1781(03)00070-2.
The neuropeptide oxytocin is produced in the hypothalamus and released centrally and peripherally in response to serotonergic stimulation. Plasma oxytocin levels may be a candidate as a biological index of serotonergic function in response to pharmacological challenge by serotonergic agents. Fourteen male healthy subjects underwent a placebo challenge and a D-fenfluramine (D-FEN) (0.5 mg/kg) challenge on different days. Serial plasma oxytocin and prolactin levels were measured on each challenge day. D-FEN was associated with an increase in both oxytocin and prolactin. Plasma oxytocin may function as an index of central serotonin (5-HT) function in human subjects. Since oxytocin is released directly from limbic-hypothalamic cells, this response presumably represents a direct central assessment of 5-HT response in limbic-hypothalamus. Further work will determine if the oxytocin response to 5-HT pharmaco-challenge, by virtue of its central origin, is more highly related to measures of psychopathology (e.g. aggression) than that of less central outcome parameters of 5-HT responsiveness (e.g. prolactin).
神经肽催产素在下丘脑中产生，并在血清素能刺激下于中枢和外周释放。血浆催产素水平可能作为血清素能功能的生物学指标，用于应对血清素能药物的药理学挑战。14名健康男性受试者在不同日期分别接受了安慰剂挑战和右芬氟拉明（D-FEN）（0.5mg/kg）挑战。在每个挑战日测量连续的血浆催产素和催乳素水平。D-FEN与催产素和催乳素的增加均有关。血浆催产素可能作为人类受试者中枢5-羟色胺（5-HT）功能的指标。由于催产素直接从边缘系统-下丘脑细胞释放，这种反应可能代表了对边缘系统-下丘脑5-HT反应的直接中枢评估。进一步的研究将确定，由于催产素对5-HT药物挑战的反应起源于中枢，它是否比5-HT反应性较低的中枢外结果参数（如催乳素）与精神病理学指标（如攻击性）的相关性更高。
