Summary
In order to investigate possible disturbances of the blood-brain transport mechanisms of monoamine precursors in manic-depressive illness and schizophrenia, we have measured the brain arterio-venous difference of DOPA, or 5-HTP, or tyrosine and tryptophan in 36 patients, during the infusion of either L-DOPA or L-5-HTP. The infusion lasted for 30 min, and blood was sampled during and immediately after the infusion, simultaneously in the femoral artery, the jugular vein and a vein of the arm. During the infusion of L-DOPA, manic patients have a higher extraction of L-DOPA than depressive patients and controls. During the infusion of L-5-HTP, depressive patients have a higher brain extraction of 5-HTP than manic or schizophrenic patients. In depressive patients, a small uptake of tryptophan correlated with a large outflow of tyrosine was observed. The opposite was seen in manic patients, with an outflow of tryptophan correlated with an uptake of tyrosine. In schizophrenics, there was an outflow of tryptophan and random variations of tyrosine. These brain arterio-venous differences were not correlated with arterio-venous differences for peripheral tissues. Taken together, these results are compatible with a disturbance of the blood-brain transport of amino acids precursors of monoamines in manic-depressive illness and schizophrenia.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Battistin, L., Grynbaum, A., Lajtha, A.: The uptake of various amino-acids by the mouse brain in vivo. Brain Research 29, 85–99 (1971).
Bourne, H. R., Bunney, W. E., Colburn, R. W., Davis, J. M., Davis, J. N., Shaw, D. M., Coppen, A. J.: Noradrenaline, 5-hydroxytryptamine, and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in hindbrains of suicidal patients. Lancet II, 805–808 (1968).
Eccleston, E. G.: A method for the estimation of free and total acid-soluble plasma tryptophan using an ultrafiltration technique. Clinica chim. Acta 48, 269–272 (1973).
Gaillard, J.-M., Eisenring, J.-J., Tissot, R.: Consommation cérébrale et périphérique de L-5-HTP chez des patients atteints de syndromes maniaques, dépressifs ou psychotiques. Encéphale 62, 395–407 (1973).
Geissbuhler, F., Eisenring, J.-J., Friedli, P., Bartholini, G., Tissot, R.: Consommation cérébrale et périphérique de L-DOPA chez des patients atteints de syndromes parkinsoniens, dépressifs ou maniaques sous L-DOPA en perfusion combinée ou non à un inhibiteur de la décarboxylase. Encéphale 2, 127–148 (1972).
Lajtha, A.: Transport as control mechanism of cerebral metabolite levels. In: Progress in Brain Research, Brain-Barrier Systems (Lajtha, A., Ford, D. H., eds.), 29, pp. 201–218. Amsterdam: Elsevier. 1968.
Lloyd, K. G., Farley, I. J., Deck, J. H. N., Hornykiewicz, O.: Serotonin and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in discrete areas of the brainstem of suicide victims and control patients. Adv. Biochem. Psychopharmacol. 11, 387–397 (1974).
Lovenberg, W., Weissbach, H., Udenfriend, S.: Aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase. J. biol. Chem. 237, 89–93 (1962).
Maickel, R. P.: Fluorometric analysis of 5-hydroxytryptamine and related compounds. Methods Neurochem. 2, 101–129 (1972).
Tissot, R.: Un concept hypothétique: l’unité physiopathologique des psychoses monoaminergiques. Encéphale I, 289–339 (1975).
Tissot, R., Castellanos, G., Gaillard, J.-M., Estrada, E., Eisenring, J.-J., Boleaga, B., Hyde, A., Miranda, R., Hovaguimian, T.: Capture du tryptophane et de la tyrosine plasmatiques dans quelques cas de psychose maniaco-dépressive et de schizophrénie. Neuropsychobiology 4, 65–73 (1978).
Udenfriend, S., Titus, K., Weissbach, H.: The identification of 5-HIAA in normal urine and a method for its assay. J. Biol. chem. 216, 499–505 (1955).
Williams, C. H., King, D. J., Cairns, J.: Microestimatipn of tryptophan in plasma by a fluorometric procedure. Biochem. Med. 6, 504–507 (1972).
Wong P. W. K., O’Flynn, M. E., Inouye, T.: Micromethods for measuring phenylalanine and tyrosine in serum. Clin. Chem. 10, 1098–1104 (1964).
Wurtman, R. J., Fernstrom, J. D.: L-Tryptophan, L-tyrosine, and the control of brain monoamine biosynthesis. In: Perspectives in Neuropharmacology (Snyder, S. H., ed.), Vol. 1, pp. 143–193. Oxford: University Press. 1972.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1979 Springer-Verlag Wien
About this paper
Cite this paper
Gaillard, JM., Tissot, R. (1979). Blood-Brain Movements of Tryptophan and Tyrosine in Manic-Depressive Illness and Schizophrenia. In: Baumann, P. (eds) Transport Mechanisms of Tryptophan in Blood Cells, Nerve Cells, and at the Blood-Brain Barrier. Journal of Neural Transmission, vol 15. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-2243-3_17
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-2243-3_17
Publisher Name: Springer, Vienna
Print ISBN: 978-3-7091-2245-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-7091-2243-3
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive