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Biomedical subjects

C A Peabody

Publications and source records attributed to C A Peabody.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1993

Potential abnormalities in molecular forms of growth hormone in schizophrenia: a pilot study.

Growth hormone has been investigated in numerous studies involving patients with schizophrenia but has been measured only by radioimmunoassay (RIA). There have been no consistent abnormalities differentiating patients with schizophrenia from normal controls. In the current study, growth hormone (GH) variants were measured by Western blotting techniques, which resulted in the quantitation of 4 GH size variants: 27K (27,000 Daltons), 22K, 20K, and 17K. In the entire sample of 17 schizophrenic subjects, all GH variants were significantly higher than in the 14 normal controls. While there were no significant differences between the 2 groups in RIA GH values, the RIA values were generally higher in the schizophrenic group. In a subset of 12 schizophrenic patients whose RIA values were approximately equal to the controls, both the 27K and 22K GH variants remained significantly higher in the patient group. In the schizophrenic group, none of the GH variants or RIA GH changed significantly after 1 week of treatment with neuroleptic medication. These preliminary results suggest that certain GH forms may be elevated in schizophrenia, but further studies are needed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Growth hormone and prolactin variants in normal subjects. Relative proportions in morning and afternoon samples.

There are multiple molecular forms of both growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (PRL). Traditionally the two hormones have been measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA) techniques. Recently, several molecular variants of these hormones have been discovered using Western blotting techniques: four GH size variants, 27K GH, 22K GH (the classical form), 20K GH (an alternatively-spliced form), and 17K GH, and two PRL structural variants, a glycosylated (G-PRL) and a nonglycosylated form. In this study, we measured these GH and PRL variants in 18 normal subjects in the morning in a fasting state and in the afternoon in a non-fasting state. Contrary to expectations, the predominant serum GH form in both morning and afternoon samples was found to be 17K, not 22K GH, accounting for 82-89% of the total circulating GH. The predominant serum PRL form was found to be the nonglycosylated variant, constituting 83-84% of the total circulating PRL. None of the GH or PRL variants were significantly different when comparing morning to afternoon samples. These results provide, for the first time, evidence for the existence of two new GH-immunoreactive components in human sera, the 17K and 27K GH, the former in proportions often higher than those of the classical 22K GH, and argue for the need to measure them individually.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

High initial nortriptyline doses in the treatment of depression.

BACKGROUND: Guidelines for doses of nortriptyline are generally somewhat vague and usually recommend a fairly wide dose range. Additionally, the safety and utility of beginning treatment at higher initial doses have not been adequately investigated. METHOD: Nortriptyline treatment was initiated with a 75- to 125-mg dose depending on weight in 26 depressed inpatients in an open-label study. RESULTS: The mean Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score decreased by 45% within 1 week (p < .001) and remained essentially unchanged at the end of Week 2. Orthostatic hypotension was the side effect of major concern since it is virtually the only significant cardiovascular effect in young healthy individuals treated with tricyclic antidepressant medication. Only 2 patients developed orthostasis, which required additional treatment with fludrocortisone, and no patients were dropped from the study due to side effects. None of the patients evidenced significant ECG changes. Twenty-one patients (81%) reached therapeutic drug levels on the initial dose regimen by the end of Week 1. CONCLUSION: Subjects tolerated high initial doses well and appeared to reach significant benefit within the first week. However, double-blind controlled studies are needed before any definitive conclusions can be drawn.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Comparison of Nb2 lymphoma cell bioassay with immunoassay for human prolactin: the role of estrogen.

The Nb2 lymphoma cell bioassay (BA-PRL) is a sensitive measure of serum prolactin under physiologic conditions. Since estrogens prime the lactotroph, prolactin heterogeneity and hence bioassayable prolactin may be influenced. A study was performed to observe the effect on BA-PRL of changing estradiol (E2) concentrations. In 13 normal subjects clomiphene citrate was administered to stimulate ovarian activity and blood samples were obtained before and after stimulation. Estradiol, BA-PRL and immunoassayable prolactin (RIA-PRL) were measured. While there was a substantial increase in E2 post-stimulation (p less than 0.001), there was no significant change in BA-PRL, RIA-PRL or BA/RIA-PRL ratios. Despite the lack of change in the mean BA/RIA-PRL ratio over a wide range of E2 concentrations that include and exceed those normally seen in spontaneous menstrual cycles, it is difficult to drawn conclusions regarding an association between E2 and BA/RIA-PRL ratios as there was no discernible change in the concentration of prolactin (possibly due to the antiestrogenic effect of clomiphene citrate).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Prolactin bioassay in schizophrenia before and after neuroleptics.

Fifteen drug-free schizophrenic male inpatients and 14 normal control subjects were studied. The schizophrenic subjects had a significantly lower ratio of bioassay prolactin to radioimmunoassay prolactin before neuroleptic treatment than they did after treatment. The ratio was lower in the drug-free patients as compared with normal controls. These findings suggest that neuroleptic medications may alter the molecular forms of serum prolactin. The results also suggest that drug-free schizophrenic patients may have a different pattern of prolactin variants than normal subjects and that this difference could be secondary to a disordered tuberoinfundibular dopamine system or long-term effects of neuroleptic drugs.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

The effect of haloperidol on aldosterone secretion.

Haloperidol (0.02 mg/kg, intravenous) did not stimulate aldosterone secretion in six normal controls or in six schizophrenic subjects. This is contrary to our hypothesis, which was based on the finding that peripheral D2 receptor antagonists stimulate aldosterone secretion, including haloperidol in rats and chlorpromazine in man. We speculated that a different dose of haloperidol would stimulate aldosterone in man. As expected, prolactin release was markedly stimulated in both groups of subjects, but no difference was found between groups.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

50 kD prolactin binding protein in schizophrenics on neuroleptic medication.

Serum samples from 15 age-matched normal male subjects and 15 male schizophrenic patients on neuroleptic medication were subjected to immunoprecipitation with anti-human prolactin (PRL) and analysis of the immunoprecipitate by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. We report the unexpected immunoprecipitation of large amounts of an approximately 50 kD protein in 12/15 of the schizophrenic patients. Preliminary analyses suggest that this 50 kD protein may be an IgG heavy chain. Since total levels of IgG and each of the IgG subclasses are the same in the normal and schizophrenic group, the increased amount of the 50 kD protein in the schizophrenics is clearly specific to anti PRL precipitation. Since the anti-PRL does not directly recognize either the 50 kD protein or any immunoglobulin light chains in the precipitate, we suggest that the 50 kD protein is precipitated because it is bound to PRL. Perhaps immunoglobulin binding of PRL is a mechanism used to compensate for chronically elevated PRL levels during neuroleptic treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Growth hormone response to growth hormone releasing hormone in depression and schizophrenia.

Growth hormone releasing hormone, a 44-amino acid peptide (GHRH-44), was administered (1 micrograms/kg i.v.) to 6 normal controls, 10 schizophrenic subjects, and 7 depressed subjects. A significantly lower growth hormone (GH) response was found in the schizophrenic and depressed groups. Two molecular forms of GH, 22K GH and 20K GH, were also measured but did not further differentiate the three groups of subjects.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Psychiatric correlates of repetitive rhythmic blinking on a routine EEG.

Our findings suggest that EEG tracings dominated by repetitive rhythmic blinking (RRB) may be indicative of a functional rather than an organic brain disorder. Evaluation of organicity in psychiatric patients is the most common reason for obtaining an EEG. As a normal EEG does not totally rule out organic involvement, such findings as the presence of RRB on the record may strengthen the value of EEG in such evaluations. More research is necessary to further delineate the relation between increased blinking and functional psychiatric disorders.

Blinking↗
PubMed1990

Usefulness of screening EEGs in a psychiatric inpatient population.

Many clinicians presume that a screening electroencephalogram (EEG) is useful in differentiating psychiatric from neurologic disorders. In a retrospective review of 698 charts of psychiatric inpatients, the authors assessed the usefulness of screening EEGs. Usefulness was defined as leading to a change in diagnosis or treatment. While 31% of screening EEGs were abnormal, only 1.7% of cases led to a change in diagnosis that might otherwise have been missed. It is unclear whether the EEG is a useful screening test on the basis of these results. Caution is warranted in interpreting these results because of the inaccuracies inherent in any retrospective review. Prospective studies are needed to better define EEG's usefulness in psychiatry.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

The differential diagnosis of negative symptoms in chronic schizophrenia.

Negative symptoms in schizophrenic patients can have many causes. This paper briefly reviews some of those factors which may contribute to negative symptoms apart from the schizophrenic illness itself. Making these distinctions is crucial for accurate diagnosis, management and prognosis.

Antipsychotic Agents↗