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Athanasios P. Zis, MD; Roger F. Haskett, MD; A. Ariav Albala, MD; Bernard J. Carroll, MD, PhD; Naomi E. Lohr, PhD

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1985;42(4):383-386.

Abstract
• A morphine infusion paradigm was used to investigate opioid mechanisms in the regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in depression. The subjects were unmedicated psychiatric inpatients and healthy volunteers. Morphine suppressed cortisol secretion. Early resumption of cortisol secretion was associated with a diagnosis of major depression and abnormal dexamethasone suppression test results. Our data suggest that the hyperactivity of the HPA axis observed in depression is abnormally resistant to opioid inhibition as well as glucocorticoid feedback.

Author Affiliations
From the Clinical Psychobiology Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Dr Zis is now with Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication May 29, 1984.

Reprint requests to Department of Psychiatry, Vancouver General Hospital, 855 W 12th Ave, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V5Z 1M9 (Dr Zis).

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