Disturbances in dexamethasone suppression test and lower availability of Ł-tryptophan and tyrosine in early puerperium and in women under contraceptive therapy

Maes, Michaël; Claes, M.; Schotte, Christiaan; Delbeke, L.; Jacquemyn, Yves; Verkerk, Robert; Meester, Ingrid De; Scharpé, Simon

doi:10.1016/0022-3999(92)90028-z

Cited by 41 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Tyrosine – and phenylalanine through its conversion into tyrosine – are required for dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine biosynthesis, whereas tryptophan is required for serotonin synthesis. Our findings are in line with studies that showed a decline in tyrosine levels during estrogen treatment [5, 8, 9]. Because effects on the availability of the precursor amino acids to the brain may, in turn, affect the synthesis rate of the biogenic amines, sex steroid administration may indirectly modify cerebral neurotransmitter concentrations.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

“…A study in female subjects showed that plasma levels of tyrosine and phenylalanine were lower at the luteal than in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle [8]. Moreover, users of oral contraceptives (containing 30 µg of ethinyl estradiol) showed a markedly decreased plasma tyrosine level [5, 8]. The level of tyrosine following protein consumption was also strongly decreased in oral contraceptives users [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Low plasma tryptophan levels have been found in depressed patients [4,5,6]. Inhibition of tyrosine hydroxylase and tyrosine depletion may also lower mood states [1, 2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of Sex Steroids on the Neurotransmitter-Specific Aromatic Amino Acids Phenylalanine, Tyrosine, and Tryptophan in Transsexual Subjects

Giltay

Bunck²,

Gooren³

et al. 2008

Neuroendocrinology

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Background/Aims: Phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan are essential aromatic amino acids and precursors of dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine and serotonin. The aim of this study was to assess whether sex steroids affect plasma levels of these aromatic amino acids. Methods: 15 male-to-female (M-F) transsexuals were treated with 100 µg/day ethinyl estradiol and 100 mg/day cyproterone acetate, and 14 female-to-male (F-M) transsexuals were treated with testosterone esters 250 mg i.m. per 2 weeks. Plasma levels of hormones and amino acids were measured at baseline and after 4 and 12 months of cross-sex hormone administration, and analyzed by general linear models for repeated measures. Results: Plasma phenylalanine decreased by 7.5% (SD 3.0; p = 0.01); tyrosine by 18.3% (SD 4.6; p < 0.001), and tryptophan by 7.8% (SD 4.7; p = 0.03) after 12 months of estrogen + anti-androgen administration to M-F transsexuals. Administration of testosterone in F-M transsexuals did not induce significant changes in plasma levels of phenylalanine and tyrosine, but increased plasma tryptophan by 18.2% (SD 20.6; p = 0.001). Conclusion: Estrogens and anti-androgens reduce circulating levels of phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan in men, whereas testosterone administration increases plasma tryptophan levels in women. Sex steroids may influence the availability of neurotransmitter precursors.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of Sex Steroids on the Neurotransmitter-Specific Aromatic Amino Acids Phenylalanine, Tyrosine, and Tryptophan in Transsexual Subjects

Giltay

Bunck²,

Gooren³

et al. 2008

Neuroendocrinology

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“…Puerperal IL-6 and IL-1RA are further increased in women with a prior history of depression,60 with anxiety and inflammatory responses being more evident in primiparae women versus multiparae 61. Such immuno-inflammatory, mood, and anxiety increases in the early puerperium correlate with decreased tryptophan and an increase in the kyn/tryptophan ratio,29,62 although not all studies show a correlation of decreased tryptophan with early postpartum mood 63. As such, available data suggest an association of immuno-inflammatory and TRYCAT changes with mood in the early postpartum blues period, and require investigation as to whether this is a direct link to PPD itself.…”

Section: Immunological Conceptualizations Of Depressionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Postpartum depression: psychoneuroimmunological underpinnings and treatment

Anderson¹,

Maes²

2013

NDT

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Postpartum depression (PPD) is common, occurring in 10%–15% of women. Due to concerns about teratogenicity of medications in the suckling infant, the treatment of PPD has often been restricted to psychotherapy. We review here the biological underpinnings to PPD, suggesting a powerful role for the tryptophan catabolites, indoleamine 2,3-dixoygenase, serotonin, and autoimmunity in mediating the consequences of immuno-inflammation and oxidative and nitrosative stress. It is suggested that the increased inflammatory potential, the decreases in endogenous anti-inflammatory compounds together with decreased omega-3 poly-unsaturated fatty acids, in the postnatal period cause an inflammatory environment. The latter may result in the utilization of peripheral inflammatory products, especially kynurenine, in driving the central processes producing postnatal depression. The pharmacological treatment of PPD is placed in this context, and recommendations for more refined and safer treatments are made, including the better utilization of the antidepressant, and the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of melatonin.

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“…Hormonal contraceptives have been shown to alter the endocrine response to stressors (Kirschbaum et al, 1999; Maes et al, 1992), and more recently this has been linked to differences in the neural activity associated with fear learning. Cortisol administration reduces hippocampal response to a learned fear stimulus in naturally-cycling women, but increases the hippocampal BOLD signal in women using OCs (Merz et al, 2012).…”

Section: 1 Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oral contraceptive pill use and menstrual cycle phase are associated with altered resting state functional connectivity

et al. 2014

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At rest, brain activity can be characterized not by an absence of organized activity but instead by spatially and temporally correlated patterns of activity. In this experiment, we investigated whether and to what extent resting state functional connectivity is modulated by sex hormones in women, both across the menstrual cycle and when altered by oral contraceptive pills. Sex hormones have been shown to have important effects on task-related activity, but few studies have investigated the extent to which they can influence the behavior of functional networks at rest. These hormones are dramatically altered by the use of hormonal contraception, which is used by approximately 100 million women worldwide. However, potential cognitive side effects of hormonal contraception have been given little attention. Here, we collected resting state data for naturally-cycling women (n=45) and women using combined oral contraceptive pills (n=46) and evaluated the differences in resting state activity between these two groups using Independent Components Analysis. We found that in the default mode network and in a network associated with executive control, resting state dynamics were altered both by the menstrual cycle and by oral contraceptive use. Specifically, the connectivity of the left angular gyrus, the left middle frontal gyrus, and the anterior cingulate cortex were different between groups. Because the anterior cingulate cortex and left middle frontal gyrus are important for higher-order cognitive and emotional processing, including conflict monitoring, changes in the relationship of these structures to the functional networks with which they interact may have important consequences for attention, affect, and/or emotion regulation.

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Disturbances in dexamethasone suppression test and lower availability of Ł-tryptophan and tyrosine in early puerperium and in women under contraceptive therapy

Cited by 41 publications

References 34 publications

Effects of Sex Steroids on the Neurotransmitter-Specific Aromatic Amino Acids Phenylalanine, Tyrosine, and Tryptophan in Transsexual Subjects

Effects of Sex Steroids on the Neurotransmitter-Specific Aromatic Amino Acids Phenylalanine, Tyrosine, and Tryptophan in Transsexual Subjects

Postpartum depression: psychoneuroimmunological underpinnings and treatment

Oral contraceptive pill use and menstrual cycle phase are associated with altered resting state functional connectivity

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