Abstract
The influence of clonidine pretreatment on psychopathological, endocrine and respiratory effects of cholecystokinin tetrapeptide (CCK-4) was characterized. Patients with panic disorder (DSM-III-R) were given 50 μg CCK-4 IV at 1100 hours on 2 separate study days. In a randomized double-blind design they were additionally infused with 150 μg clonidine or placebo from 1040 to 1110 hours. After CCK-4 all patients experienced symptom attacks. No effects of clonidine on panic psychopathology or blood gas parameters were observed. After CCK-4, in the clonidine condition the pituitary release of adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and prolactin was seemingly enhanced compared to placebo. Our results suggest that CCK-4-induced panic attacks are not suppressible by presynaptic alpha-2 receptor stimulation. Moreover, they point to a synergistic postsynaptic action of clonidine to CCK-4 upon pituitary hormone secretion. The diverging sites of action might possibly explain the discrepancies of psychopathological alterations and stress hormone secretion.
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Received: 28 November 1996 /Final version: 13 March 1997
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Kellner, M., Yassouridis, A., Jahn, H. et al. Influence of clonidine on psychopathological, endocrine and respiratory effects of cholecystokinin tetrapeptide in patients with panic disorder. Psychopharmacology 133, 55–61 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002130050371
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s002130050371