ISSN:
1435-1463
Keywords:
Amino acids transport
;
anorexia
;
blood brain barrier
;
cancer
;
CSF tryptophan
;
plasma tryptophan
;
serotoninergic system
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Summary Eighteen untreated cancer patients and ten sex- and age-matched healthy volunteers were studied. In all patients eating behavior was investigated by means of a specific questionnaire from which the presence of anorexia and anorexia-related symptoms was assessed. To investigate the role of tryptophan in cancer anorexia, fasting plasma and CSF levels of tryptophan and other neutral amino acids were assayed in patients and controls. Cancer patients showed abnormally high plasma free tryptophan levels. In case of patients with cancer anorexia a significant rise of the ratio in plasma between free and tryptophan/large neutral amino acids, competing with tryptophan for its brain entry, was observed. This increase was correlated to a consistent rise of CSF tryptophan levels suggesting a specific role of the serotoninergic system in the pathogenesis of cancer anorexia.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01245044
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