[Nerve growth factor and the state of serotoninergic system in endogenous depression and mental retardation]

Platelet parameters of the serotonin system were studied in patients with endogenous depressions and children with late documented phenylketonuria (PKU) before and after antidepressive therapy. There was a significant decrease in the rate of back platelet uptake of 3H-serotonin and an increase in the sensitivity of serotonin receptors to serotonin in the patients before therapy and normalization of these parameters after therapy. The normalization correlated with clinical improvement in patients with endogenous depression. The course therapy with L-DOPA and the antidepressant azaphen resulted in a substantial mental improvement in children with PKU. There was a significant reduction in the ability of platelets from the patients in question to react by releasing 3H-serotonin in response to nerve growth factor stimulation of cells in vitro.