engleski

Platelet serotonin and plasma hormones in healthy women, depressed and schizophrenic patients

Literatura data suggest that serotonin (5-HT) is involved in the regulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) activity and prolactin (PRL) secretion. Since uptake, storage and realease of 5-HT into platelets resemble to the corresponding processes in the central nervous system, blood platelets have been widely used as an easy available, peripheral model for the central serotoninergic synaptosomes The aim of the present study was to compare platelet 5-HT concentration and plasma cortisol and PRL content in healthy women and in drug-free female depressed and schizophrenic patients. The population studied comprised of 23 female schizophrenic and 25 female depressed, drug free patients. Clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia and depression was made according to DSM-III-R criteria. The control group consisted of 25 healthy, drug free women with no history of psychopathology. Platelet 5-HT, plasma cortisol and PRL concentrations were determined by the spectrofluorimetric, radioimmunoassay and immunoradiometric method, respectively. There were different concentrations of platelet 5-HT, plasma PRL and plasma cortisol between healthy controls, depressed and schizophrenic patients. Among groups the highest values of platelet 5-HT and both hormones were observed in schizophrenic patients, while depressed patients had lowest concentration of platelet 5-HT and plasma PRL. Concentration of plasma cortisol was increased in both depressed and schizophrenic patients as compared to values in healthy controls. A significant correlation was found between platelet 5-HT concentration and plasma levels of cortisol and PRL in healthy controls but not in schizophrenic or depressed patients. There was no infuence of age on biochemical parameters. Although literatura data suggest that glucocorticoids are involved in the regulation of PRL synthesis and release, we did not find relationship between plasma concentration of PRL and cortisol in all groups. Our results suggest an altered influence of 5-HT system on HPA axis activity and PRL secretion in depression and schizophrenia.

platelet serotonin; plasma cortisol; plasma prolactin; depression; schizophrenia

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