Effects of bromocriptine on CSF proteins and amines in patients with empty sella syndrome, acromegaly and prolactin producing pituitary adenomas.

The effect of the dopamine agonist bromocriptine (5-40 mg/day) on cerebrospinal fluid proteins and amines was studied in 7 hyperprolactinemic patients, 4 with empty sella syndrome and 3 patients with pituitary adenoma. Small as well as high doses of bromocriptine depressed the endogenously formed dopamine, noradrenalin and adrenalin. Five patients initially exhibited changes consistent with slight to marked blood-cerebrospinal-fluid (CSF) barrier disturbances and 5 abnormal CSF-protein fractions. One CSF-protein fraction (isolelectric points (pI) approximately 5.3 pH-units) became more prominent during bromocriptine treatment. Analyses of his fraction indicated that it represented a transferrin component. It is stated that bromocriptine treatment besides affecting amine and trace metal metabolism also affects protein metabolism.