Knapp S, Irwin M
VA Medical Center, Clinical Center on Alcoholism, San Diego, CA 92161.
Biol Psychiatry. 1989 Jun;26(2):156-62. doi: 10.1016/0006-3223(89)90019-x.
Plasma levels of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) and the related pterin folate were concurrently measured in 20 pairs of depressed patients and age-matched controls. The mean values of plasma BH4 in depressed patients was significantly elevated to a level about 150% of that found in the controls. Folate levels were not different between groups. These findings emphasize that BH4, a required cofactor in the biosynthesis of catecholamines and indolamines, is altered in depression.
对20对抑郁症患者和年龄匹配的对照组同时测定了血浆四氢生物蝶呤（BH4）及相关蝶呤叶酸的水平。抑郁症患者血浆BH4的平均值显著升高，达到对照组的约150%。两组之间叶酸水平无差异。这些发现强调，BH4作为儿茶酚胺和吲哚胺生物合成中必需的辅助因子，在抑郁症中发生了改变。
