The British Journal of Psychiatry 152: 122-126 (1988)
© 1988 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
Urinary catecholamine metabolite and tribulin output during lactate infusion
A Clow, V Glover, MW Weg, PL Walker, DV Sheehan, DB Carr and M Sandler
Bernhard Baron Memorial Research Laboratories, Queen Charlotte's Hospital, London.
Urinary output of homovanillic acid and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxymandelic acid
was decreased both in patients with panic attacks and in normal controls
during lactate infusion, whereas that of tribulin (an endogenous monoamine
oxidase inhibitor and benzodiazepine receptor binding inhibitor) was
increased. There was no change in urinary excretion of any of these
compounds during saline infusion. These findings provide further evidence
of a link between tribulin output and stress and anxiety in man and point
to its possible in vivo action as a monoamine oxidase inhibitor.