Caffeine injection raises brain tryptophan level, but does not stimulate the rate of serotonin synthesis in rat brain.

Acute caffeine injection (100 mg/kg) elevates brain levels of tryptophan (TRP), serotonin (5HT), and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5HIAA). Experiments were performed to determine if the increases in 5HT and 5HIAA result from a stimulation of the rate of 5HT synthesis. Both the rate of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5HTP) accumulation following NSD-1015 injection, and the rate of 3H-5-hydroxyindole synthesis from 3H-tryptophan were measured in vivo following caffeine administration and found to be normal. Tryptophan hydroxylase activity, as measured in vitro in brain homogenates, was also unaffected by caffeine. The results suggest that the elevations in brain 5HT and 5HIAA levels produced by caffeine do not reflect enhanced 5HT synthesis, despite significant elevations in brain TRP level. Some other mechanism(s) must therefore be responsible for these elevations in brain 5-hydroxyindole levels.