TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of Tryptophan Depletion on Smokers and Nonsmokers With and Without History of Major Depression
AU - Spring, Bonnie
AU - Hitsman, Brian
AU - Pingitore, Regina
AU - McChargue, Dennis E.
AU - Gunnarsdottir, Dianna
AU - Corsica, Joyce
AU - Pergadia, Michele
AU - Doran, Neal
AU - Crayton, John W.
AU - Baruah, Sankar
AU - Hedeker, Donald
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported by a VA Merit Review award and by National Heart Lung and Blood Institute grant HL59348 (to BS). BH was supported by K08 DA017145. DM was supported by K08 DA00467.
PY - 2007/1/1
Y1 - 2007/1/1
N2 - Background: Serotonergic dysregulation is posited to contribute to comorbidity between nicotine dependence and depression. We tested whether acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) triggers depressive symptoms in euthymic, unmedicated smokers and nonsmokers with and without history of major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods: Acute tryptophan depletion and taste-matched placebo challenges were administered double-blind in counter-balanced order. Participants were four groups of volunteers hypothesized to be of increasing affective vulnerability as follows: nonsmokers lacking recurrent personal and familial history of MDD (n = 20), smokers lacking recurrent personal and familial history of MDD (n = 21), nonsmokers with history of recurrent personal and familial MDD (n = 16), and smokers with recurrent personal and familial history of MDD (n = 16). Depression, dysphoric mood, and plasma amino acids were measured at baseline and around the time of peak depletion. Results: Depressive symptom response to ATD was heightened significantly by history of MDD (p < .001) and marginally by smoking (p = .09). Smoking seemed to magnify the ATD response of those with a history of MDD (effect size = .63) but had no effect on those without MDD history (effect size = .06). Conclusions: Depressive symptom response to serotonergic challenge is exaggerated in unmedicated, euthymic adults with recurrent personal and familial vulnerability to MDD, perhaps especially if they also smoke.
AB - Background: Serotonergic dysregulation is posited to contribute to comorbidity between nicotine dependence and depression. We tested whether acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) triggers depressive symptoms in euthymic, unmedicated smokers and nonsmokers with and without history of major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods: Acute tryptophan depletion and taste-matched placebo challenges were administered double-blind in counter-balanced order. Participants were four groups of volunteers hypothesized to be of increasing affective vulnerability as follows: nonsmokers lacking recurrent personal and familial history of MDD (n = 20), smokers lacking recurrent personal and familial history of MDD (n = 21), nonsmokers with history of recurrent personal and familial MDD (n = 16), and smokers with recurrent personal and familial history of MDD (n = 16). Depression, dysphoric mood, and plasma amino acids were measured at baseline and around the time of peak depletion. Results: Depressive symptom response to ATD was heightened significantly by history of MDD (p < .001) and marginally by smoking (p = .09). Smoking seemed to magnify the ATD response of those with a history of MDD (effect size = .63) but had no effect on those without MDD history (effect size = .06). Conclusions: Depressive symptom response to serotonergic challenge is exaggerated in unmedicated, euthymic adults with recurrent personal and familial vulnerability to MDD, perhaps especially if they also smoke.
KW - Serotonin
KW - cigarette smoking
KW - major depression
KW - nicotine dependence
KW - tryptophan depletion
KW - vulnerability
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33845226807&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.03.050
DO - 10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.03.050
M3 - Article
C2 - 16893526
AN - SCOPUS:33845226807
SN - 0006-3223
VL - 61
SP - 70
EP - 77
JO - Biological Psychiatry
JF - Biological Psychiatry
IS - 1
ER -