Sabelli H C, Fawcett J, Gusovsky F, Javaid J I, Wynn P, Edwards J, Jeffriess H, Kravitz H
J Clin Psychiatry. 1986 Feb;47(2):66-70.
To test the hypothesis that 2-phenylethylamine (PEA) modulates affect, plasma levels and urinary excretion of its main metabolite, phenylacetic acid (PAA), were studied in depressed and manic subjects, and the mood-elevating effects of its precursor, L-phenylalanine, were studied in depressed subjects. Mean total plasma PAA concentrations were 491.83 +/- 232.84 ng/ml in 12 healthy volunteers and 300.33 +/- 197.44 ng/ml in 23 drug-free patients with major depression. The 24-hour urinary PAA excretion was also measured in 48 healthy volunteers (141.1 +/- 10.2 mg PAA/24 hr) and in 144 patients with major depression (78.2 +/- 41.0 mg PAA/24 hr). The results suggest that low plasma and urinary PAA may be state markers for depression and are compatible with the PEA hypothesis. In further support, phenylalanine elevated mood in 31 of 40 depressives.
为了验证2-苯乙胺（PEA）调节情感的假说，对抑郁和躁狂受试者的血浆水平及其主要代谢产物苯乙酸（PAA）的尿排泄情况进行了研究，并在抑郁受试者中研究了其前体L-苯丙氨酸的情绪提升作用。12名健康志愿者的血浆总PAA平均浓度为491.83±232.84 ng/ml，23名未服用药物的重度抑郁症患者的血浆总PAA平均浓度为300.33±197.44 ng/ml。还对48名健康志愿者（141.1±10.2 mg PAA/24小时）和144名重度抑郁症患者（78.2±41.0 mg PAA/24小时）的24小时尿PAA排泄量进行了测量。结果表明，血浆和尿中PAA水平较低可能是抑郁症的状态标志物，这与PEA假说相符。进一步的支持是，40名抑郁症患者中有31名在服用苯丙氨酸后情绪得到改善。
