Effects of desipramine and total sleep deprivation on hormonal levels of healthy subjects.

Plasma prolactin (PRL) and growth hormone (GH) were serially measured over a 5-hour morning period in healthy subjects who twice received a single oral dose of 100 mg desipramine (DMI). The study was carried out both after a regular night of sleep and after 1 night of total sleep deprivation. Clinical studies have suggested that sleep deprivation could potentiate the therapeutic effects of antidepressants, and there were reports on DMI stimulation of GH. The basal PRL levels decreased after sleep deprivation, but subsequently increased after DMI, whereas the same dose of DMI did not affect PRL in the absence of after DMI, whereas the same dose of DMI did not affect PRL in the absence of sleep deprivation. The GH levels increased substantially (8- to 10-fold) after DMI in both experimental conditions. Sleep deprivation neither changed GH basal levels nor potentiated the DMI-induced GH increase.