Abstract
Concentrations of the major monoamine metabolites homovanillic acid (HVA) 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenylethylene glycol (MOPEG), and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) were determined in lumbar CSF of psychotic women with a schizophrenic symptomatology before and 4 weeks after treatment with sulpiride (Dogmatil 200 mg×4). The metabolites were determined by a mass fragmentographic method. Prolactin concentrations in CSF and plasma were determined by radioimmunoassay. The clinical effects were evaluated by ratings according to the comprehensive psychopathology rating scale (CPRS) and a scale for side effects. Levels of HVA and prolactin in CSF and plasma were significantly elevated during treatment. No effects on concentrations of MOPEG or 5-HIAA were observed. The biochemical data indicate that clinical doses of sulpiride blocked dopamine receptors in the nigrostriatal pathway as well as in the tuberoinfundibular system. Treatment with sulpiride was associated with marked reductions in psychotic morbidity.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Acevedo, J. C., Elias, L. V., Ruiz, J. G.: Double-blind evaluation of the comparative effectiveness of sulpiride and chlorpromazine in treatment of schizophrenia. Congres Mondial de Psychiatrie, Mexico 1971
Bartholini, G.: Differential effect of neuroleptic drugs on dopamine turnover in the extrapyramidal and limbic system. J. Pharm. Pharmacol. 28, 429–433 (1976)
Bellomo, L. E., Fernandez, H.: Double-blind study of sulpiride in psychotic patients. Psychiatric and psychological-clinical evaluation. Minerva Psiquiatr. Argentina 1, 29–50 (1972)
Benakis, A., Rey, C.: Etude autoradiographique du sulpiride 14C chez la souris et le rat. Localisation spècifique au niveau de l'hypophyse du rat après administration unique et administrations répétées. J. Pharmacol. 7, 367–378 (1976)
Besser, G. M., Yeo, T., Delitala, G., Jones, A., Stubbs, W. A., Wass, J. A. H., Thorner, M. O.: Clinical neuroendocrine relationships in normal and disordered prolaction secretion. In: Central regulation of the endocrine system. K. Fuxe, T. Mökfelt, R. Luft, eds., Nobel Foundation Symposium 42, pp. 457–472. New York: Plenum Press 1979
Bjerkenstedt, L., Eneroth, P., Härnryd, C., Sedvall, G.: Effects of melperone and thiothixene on prolactin levels in cerebrospinal fluid and plasma of psychotic women. Arch. Psychiatr. Nervenkr. 224, 281–293 (1977a)
Bjerkenstedt, L., Gullberg, B., Härnryd, C., Sedvall, G.: Monoamine metabolite levels in cerebrospinal fluid of psychotic women treated with melperone or thiothixene. Arch. Psychiatr. Nervenkr. 224, 107–118 (1977b)
Bjerkenstedt, L., Härnryd, C., Grimm, V., Gullberg, B., Sedvall, G.: A double-blind comparison of melperone and thiothixene in psychotic women using a new rating scale, the CPRS. Arch. Psychiatr. Nervenkr. 226, 157–172 (1978)
Bleuler, P. E.: Dementia praecox oder die Gruppe der Schizophrenien. Leipzig: Deutiche 1911
Colton, T.: Statistics in medicine. Boston: Little Brown 1974
Elliott, P. N. C., Jenner, P., Huizing, G., Marsden, C. D., Miller, R.: Substituted benzamides as cerebral dopamine antagonists in rodents. Neuropharmacology 16, 333–342 (1977)
Frantz, A. G., Sachar, E. J.: Effects of antipsychotic drugs on prolactin and growth hormone levels in man. In: Wenner-Gren center int. symp. series, vol. 25, p. 421–436. Oxford: Pergamon 1976
Fuxe, K., Ögren, S.-O., Fredholm, B., Agnati, L., Hökfelt, T., Perez de la Mora, M.: Possibilities of a differential blockade of central monoamine receptors. Symposium Bel-Air V, Rhiencéphale Neurotransmetteurs et Psychoses, Geneva, Switzerland, Sept. 27–29, 1976 (in press)
Fyrö, B., Wode-Helgodt, B., Borg, S., Sedvall, G.: The effect of chlorpromazine on homovanillic acid levels in cerebrospinal fluid of schizophrenic patients. Psychopharmacologia 35, 287–294 (1974)
Gordon, E., Perlow, M., Oliver, J., Ebert, M., Kopin, I.: Origins of catecholamine metabolites in monkey cerebrospinal fluid. J. Neurochem. 25, 347–349 (1975)
Ishimaru, T., Kubo, S., Ishikawa, H., Jitsuiki, S., Kawamura, T., Kimura, N., Kodama, H., Masuda, K., Miyake, Y., Nomura, S., Sasaki, T., Shimonaga, K., Tsukue, I., Asada, S.: Clinical evaluation on therapeutic effects of sulpiride, a neuroleptic drug, on schizophrenia by double-blind controlled test. Hiroshima J. Med. Sci. 19, 131–154 (1971)
Kato, Y., Ohgo, S., Chihara, K., Imura, H.: Stimulation of human prolactin secretion by sulpiride. Endocrinol. Jpn. 22, 457–470 (1975)
Kleimola, T., Leppänen, O., Kanto, J.: Spectrophotofluorometric method for quantitative determination of sulpiride in human plasma and urine. Ann. Clin. Res. 8, 104–110 (1976)
Kleinberg, D. L., Frantz, A. G.: Human prolactin: Measurement in plasma by in vitro bioassay. J. Clin. Invest. 50, 1557–1568 (1971)
Kolakowska, T., Wiles, D. H., McNeilly, A. S., Gelder, M. G.: Correlation between plasma levels of prolactin and chlorpromacine in psychiatric patients. Psychol. Med. 5, 214–216 (1975)
Mancini, A. M., Guitelman, A., Vargas, C. A., Debeljuk, L., Aparicio, N. J.: Effect of sulpiride on serum prolactin levels in humans. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 42, 181–184 (1976)
Mielke, D. H., Gallant, D. M., Kessler, C.: An evaluation of a unique new antipsychotic agent, sulpiride: Effects on serum prolactin and growth hormone levels. Am. J. Psychiatry 134, 1371–1375 (1977)
Nybäck, H., Alfredsson, G., Sedvall, G.: Plasma levels of chlorpromazine and prolactin in psychotic patients treated with chlorpromazine using different dose schedules. Abstract. Sixth World Congr. of Psychiat., Hawaii (1977)
Pinto, C. A. C.: Sulpiride in schizophrenia. Double-blind study. Bol. Psiquiatr. 5, 103–142 (1972)
Scatton, B., Bischoff, S., Dedek, J., Korf, J.: Regional effects of neuroleptics on dopamine metabolism and dopamine-sensitive adenylate cyclase activity. Eur. J. Pharmacol. 44, 287–292 (1977)
Sedvall, G., Fyrö, B., Nybäck, H., Wiesel, F.-A., Wode-Helgodt, B.: Mass fragmentometric determination of homovanillic acid in lumbar cerebrospinal fluid of schizophrenic patients during treatment with antipsychotic drugs. J. Psychiatr. Res. 11, 75–80 (1974)
Swahn, C.-G., Sandgärde, B., Wiesel, F.-A., Sedvall, G.: Simultaneous determination of the three major monoamine metabolites in brain tissue and body fluids by a mass fragmentographic method. Psychopharmacology 48, 147–152 (1976)
Toru, M., Shimazono, Y., Miyasaka, M., Kokubo, T., Mori, Y., Nasu, T.: A double-blind comparison of sulpiride with chlorpromazine in chronic schizophrenia. J. Clin. Pharmacol. 12, 221–229 (1972)
Trabucchi, M., Longoni, R., Fresia, P., Spano, P. F.: Sulpiride: A study of the effects on dopamine receptors in rat neostriatum and limbic forebrain. Life Sci. 17, 1551–1556 (1975)
Wode-Helgodt, B., Fyrö, B., Gullberg, B., Sedvall, G.: Effect of chlorpromazine treatment on monoamine metabolite levels in cerebrospinal fluid of psychotic patients. Acta Psychiatr. Scand. 56, 129–142 (1977a)
Wode-Helgodt, B., Eneroth, P., Fyrö, B., Gullberg, B., Sedvall, G.: Effect of chlorpromazine treatment on prolactin levels in cerebrospinal fluid and plasma of psychotic patients. Acta Psychiatr. Scand. 56, 280–293 (1977b)
World Health Organization: The international pilot study of schizophrenia (1973)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bjerkenstedt, L., Härnryd, C. & Sedval, G. Effect of sulpiride on monoaminergic mechanisms in psychotic women. Psychopharmacology 64, 135–139 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00496053
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00496053