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Peter H. Gruen, MD; Edward J. Sachar, MD; Norman Altman, MD; Jon Sassin, MD

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1975;32(1):31-33.

Abstract
Human growth hormone (HGH) responses to insulin-induced hypoglycemia were measured in ten postmenopausal women suffering from primary unipolar depressive illness, and in ten age-matched normal postmenopausal women. The mean maximal HGH response in the depressed patients was 4.6 ± 4.4 ng/ml, and in the normals 13.3 ± 9.8 ng/ml (P <.05).

All of the normal subjects had clinically adequate HGH responses, in contrast to only four of the depressed patients (P <.01). The blood glucose responses were virtually the same in the two groups. Since brain catecholamines play a major role in mediating HGH responses to hypoglycemia, the findings are consistent with the hypothesis of diminished functional catecholaminergic activity in the depressed patients.

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Psychiatry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY (Drs. Gruen, Sachar, and Altman); and the Department of Medicine (Neurology), University of California at Irvine (Dr. Sassin).

Footnotes
Accepted for publication Aug 30, 1974.

Reprint requests to the Department of Psychiatry, Bronx Municipal Hospital Center, Pelham Parkway S and Eastchester Rd, Bronx, NY 10461 (Dr. Sachar).

Read in part before the American College of Neuropharmacology, Palm Springs, Calif, Dec 6, 1973.

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