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- Title
Influence of the serotonin antagonist, metergoline, on the anxiogenic effects of carbon dioxide, and on heart rate and neuroendocrine measures, in healthy volunteers.
- Authors
Meiri, Gal; Ben-Zion, Itzhak Z.; Greenberg, Benjamin D.; Murphy, Dennis L.; Benjamin, Jonathan
- Abstract
The mechanism of action of carbon dioxide (CO[sub 2] ) angiogenesis is unknown; only recently have possible serotonergic (5-HT) influences begun to be studied. In separate double-blind challenges 1 week apart, 14 healthy volunteers received two vital capacity inhalations each of 35% CO[sub 2] and of air, once after a single capsule of placebo and once after a single capsule containing 4 mg of the 5-HT antagonist metergoline in a randomized crossover design. The inhalations were repeated 1 and 2 days after the ingestion of capsules, to investigate possible delayed effects of metergoline, and possible tolerance to repeated CO[sub 2] after placebo. We observed increased anxiety, and a trend for increased plasma noradrenaline (NA), after CO[sub 2] . CO[sub 2] anxiogenesis was significantly enhanced by metergoline. Heart rate increased after both gas mixtures following metergoline administration. Plasma prolactin levels were lower after metergoline. Responses to CO[sub 2] did not differ between the day of placebo administration and the two subsequent days; on the days following metergoline administration there were almost no delayed effects. We hypothesize that 5-HT may function as an inhibitor of CO[sub 2] anxiogenesis, and that this is opposed by the 5-HT antagonist, metergoline. Absence of tolerance after repeated CO[sub 2] argues against psychological explanations of tolerance after other panicogens. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
- Subjects
SEROTONIN antagonists; CARBON dioxide; HEART beat; NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY; NORADRENALINE; ANXIETY
- Publication
Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical & Experimental, 2001, Vol 16, Issue 3, p237
- ISSN
0885-6222
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1002/hup.259