Prolactin and growth hormone response to levodopa in affective illness

Prolactin (PRL) and growth hormone (GH) response to L-Dopa have been studied in 51 affectively ill women (26 unipolar and 25 bipolar) before and after amitriptyline treatment and in 14 normal female controls. There was no difference in GH response to L-dopa in all groups studied except for bipolar postmenopausal women, who showed a blunted GH response to L-Dopa compared to bipolar premenopausal women. After amitriptyline treatment, no difference in GH response was found in all groups studied. Basal PRL levels were significantly lower in unipolar premenopausal and bipolar premenopausal patients in comparison to their controls. PRL response to L-Dopa was significantly less inhibited in postmenopausal controls than in premenopausal controls and in bipolar premenopausal patients compared to premenopausal controls. These data provide further evidence of hypothalamo-pituitary dysfunction in subgroups of affective disorders and emphasize the importance of considering the menopausal status in neuroendocrine studies of psychiatric disorders.