Miller H L, Delgado P L, Salomon R M, Licinio J, Barr L C, Charney D S
Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn.
J Clin Psychiatry. 1992 Oct;53 Suppl:28-35.
Serotonin (5-HT) has been implicated in the pathophysiology of depressive syndromes and in the mechanism of antidepressant drug action. Rapid dietary depletion of tryptophan (TRP) provides a paradigm for studying the role of 5-HT in depressed patients. Drug-free depressed patients do not show mood changes during TRP depletion but about one third have a clinically apparent, transient improvement in mood on return to normal TRP intake. Depressed patients in clinical remission after 6 to 8 weeks of antidepressant therapy experience a transient depressive relapse during acute TRP depletion. The significance of these findings will be discussed. Tryptophan depletion in other psychiatric syndromes will also be reviewed.
血清素（5-羟色胺，5-HT）与抑郁综合征的病理生理学以及抗抑郁药物的作用机制有关。快速通过饮食耗尽色氨酸（TRP）为研究5-HT在抑郁症患者中的作用提供了一个范例。未服用药物的抑郁症患者在色氨酸耗尽期间情绪没有变化，但约三分之一的患者在恢复正常色氨酸摄入后情绪有临床上明显的短暂改善。接受6至8周抗抑郁治疗后处于临床缓解期的抑郁症患者在急性色氨酸耗尽期间会经历短暂的抑郁复发。将讨论这些发现的意义。还将回顾其他精神综合征中的色氨酸耗尽情况。
