Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Tryptophan availability, 5HT synthesis and 5HT function.

S N Young1, K L Teff

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Que., Canada.

Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry
|January 1, 1989
PubMed
Summary

Tryptophan boosts serotonin (5HT) synthesis, but its impact on release and function depends on behavioral arousal. Tryptophan

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Review: Closing nutrient cycles for animal production - Current and future agroecological and socio-economic issues.

Animal : an international journal of animal bioscience·2021
Same author

On the "Flu"-A Theory.

The Dental register·2021
Same author

Evolutionary divergence of the necroptosis effector MLKL.

Cell death and differentiation·2016
Same author

RIPK1- and RIPK3-induced cell death mode is determined by target availability.

Cell death and differentiation·2014
Same author

Methodology and interpretation of acute tryptophan depletion studies.

Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica·2013
Same author

L-Tryptophan: Biochemical, nutritional and pharmacological aspects.

Amino acids·2013

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin (5HT).
  • The relationship between increased serotonin synthesis and its release/function is not fully understood.
  • Behavioral arousal influences serotonin neuron firing rates.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how behavioral arousal modulates the effects of tryptophan on serotonin release and function.
  • To clarify the circumstances under which tryptophan administration impacts brain function.

Main Methods:

  • Administration of tryptophan to rats under different arousal conditions (dark vs. light).
  • Observation of tryptophan's effects on aggression in monkeys.
  • Analysis of tryptophan's influence on pain perception and analgesia.

Main Results:

  • Tryptophan increased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) 5HT in aroused rats (dark) but not in non-aroused rats (light).
  • Behavioral arousal influenced tryptophan's effect on aggression in monkeys.
  • Tryptophan's effects on pain perception and morphine analgesia varied depending on the context.

Conclusions:

  • The impact of altered tryptophan levels on brain function is critically dependent on the level of behavioral arousal.
  • Understanding arousal states is crucial for explaining the variable effects of tryptophan, including its antidepressant and analgesic properties.
  • Tryptophan's influence on 5HT pathways is context-specific, affecting synthesis, release, and downstream signaling.

Related Experiment Videos