Serum prolactin levels after buspirone in man

Area of Science:

• Neuropharmacology
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Buspirone is an anxiolytic medication with complex dopamine (DA) interactions.
• Understanding its effects on hormonal systems like prolactin (PRL) is crucial for clinical application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the acute effects of buspirone on serum prolactin (PRL) levels in healthy young males.
• To compare buspirone's PRL-elevating effects with a known dopamine antagonist, sulpiride.

Main Methods:

• Cross-over, double-blind study design.
• Ten healthy young males participated.
• Administration of buspirone (25, 50, 100 mg) and sulpiride (200 mg) with serum PRL measurements.

Main Results:

• Buspirone demonstrated a dose-dependent increase in serum PRL.
• Peak PRL increases of 30%, 70%, and 320% were observed at 1 hour post-administration for 25, 50, and 100 mg doses, respectively.
• Sulpiride, used as a control, elevated PRL by approximately 800%.

Conclusions:

• Buspirone's PRL-elevating effect is dose-dependent.
• The findings suggest that buspirone blocks postsynaptic dopamine receptors at higher doses than those required for its anxiolytic effects.