Branchey L, Branchey M, Worner T M, Zucker D, Shaw S, Lieber C S
Biol Psychiatry. 1985 Nov;20(11):1167-73. doi: 10.1016/0006-3223(85)90175-1.
Because available evidence suggests that alterations in the serotonergic as well as dopaminergic tones underlie hallucinatory activity, we decided to investigate whether serotonin and dopamine pathways are modified in alcoholics with a history of hallucinosis. Brain serotonin has been shown to depend on the plasma ratio of its precursor tryptophan over other amino acids competing with it for brain entry. Similarly, brain dopamine depends on the plasma ratio of its precursors phenylalanine and dopamine over their competitors. Amino acid abnormalities are common in alcoholics. For this reason, we assessed whether alcoholics who had experienced hallucinations have alterations in amino acids believed to be associated with neurotransmitter modifications. Patients with a history of hallucinations were found to have a tryptophan ratio significantly lower than that of patients without such a history, and a tyrosine + phenylalanine ratio significantly higher. These data suggest that amino acid abnormalities believed to result in decreased brain serotonin and in increased brain dopamine render certain individuals more vulnerable to hallucinatory experiences.
由于现有证据表明，5-羟色胺能和多巴胺能神经递质的变化是幻觉活动的基础，我们决定研究有幻觉病史的酗酒者的5-羟色胺和多巴胺通路是否发生了改变。脑内5-羟色胺已被证明取决于其前体色氨酸与其他竞争进入脑内的氨基酸的血浆比值。同样，脑内多巴胺取决于其前体苯丙氨酸和多巴胺与它们的竞争物的血浆比值。氨基酸异常在酗酒者中很常见。因此，我们评估了有幻觉经历的酗酒者是否存在被认为与神经递质改变有关的氨基酸变化。有幻觉病史的患者被发现色氨酸比值显著低于无此病史的患者，而酪氨酸+苯丙氨酸比值显著更高。这些数据表明，被认为导致脑内5-羟色胺减少和脑内多巴胺增加的氨基酸异常使某些个体更容易出现幻觉体验。
