Hashimoto R, Mizutani M, Ohta T, Nakazawa K
Department of Neuro-Psychiatry, Aichi Medical College, Japan.
Yakubutsu Seishin Kodo. 1993 Apr;13(2):59-63.
Tetrahydrobiopterin (BPH4) is the cofactor for the pteridine-dependent monooxygenases, which play important roles in the biosynthesis of cateholamines and indolamines. These biogenic amines have been thought to be related to affective disorders, and the increase of total biopterin (BP) and the lower ratio of BPH4 to total BP were observed in plasma of patients with affective disorders. For the purpose of giving an explanation of these changes of plasma biopterin mentioned above in patients with affective disorders, the fluctuation of plasma biopterin levels for 24 h was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection by the method of Fukushima and Nixon in ten normal volunteers. The total BP and BPH4 levels in plasma at 9 am were the highest, and those levels at 1 am were the lowest. The range of the fluctuation of total BP with the passage of time was narrow compared with the range of the increase of total BP observed in the patients with affective disorders. Other factors in addition to the fluctuation of plasma BP for 24 h were thought to be related to the changes of plarma BP levels in the patients with affective disorders.
四氢生物蝶呤（BPH4）是蝶啶依赖性单加氧酶的辅因子，这些酶在儿茶酚胺和吲哚胺的生物合成中起重要作用。这些生物胺被认为与情感障碍有关，并且在情感障碍患者的血浆中观察到总生物蝶呤（BP）增加以及BPH4与总BP的比例降低。为了解释情感障碍患者上述血浆生物蝶呤的这些变化，采用Fukushima和Nixon的方法，通过高效液相色谱荧光检测法测定了10名正常志愿者血浆生物蝶呤水平24小时的波动情况。上午9点时血浆中的总BP和BPH4水平最高，凌晨1点时这些水平最低。与情感障碍患者中观察到的总BP增加范围相比，总BP随时间波动的范围较窄。除了血浆BP 24小时的波动外，其他因素也被认为与情感障碍患者血浆BP水平的变化有关。
