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Endocrine Effects of Neuroleptics

  • Chapter
Psychotropic Agents

Part of the book series: Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology ((HEP,volume 55 / 1))

Abstract

Psychotherapeutic drugs have been reported to interfere with a variety of endocrine functions, including lactation in man and experimental animals. In 1954, Wilkins reported the development of gynecomastia following treatment with Rauwolfia alkaloids. Winnik and Tennenbaum showed in 1955 that treatment with chlorpromazine (Largactil, Thorazine or Megaphen) could lead to milk secretion in women. Sulman and Winnik, and Winnik and Sulman, studying this problem in 1956, described spontaneous lactation in women and animals, and other endocrine disturbances after treatment with chlorpromazine. Our experience with psychopharmaca was confirmed and lactation was reported to occur in women who received either reserpine or chlorpromazine (Marshall and Leiberman, 1956, and Platt and Sears, 1956). Animal experiments also confirmed our findings, treatment with reserpine resulted in milk secretion in rabbits (Meites, 1957, Sawyer, 1957). Administration of various other phenothiazine derivatives also produced mammary differentiation and milk secretion in rats (Sulman et al., 1970). These endocrine disturbances were presumed to result from the action of major tranquilizers on the reticular formation and hypothalamic regions which regulate the releasing and inhibiting functions of the pituitary. The name “hypothalamic tranquilizers” has, therefore, been given to those agents which cause endocrine disturbances such as lactation or suppression of gonadotropins and STH.

This article contains only a short survey of the endocrine effects of psychotherapeutic drugs. For more comprehensive information earlier publications should be consulted: Dikstein and Sulman (1966), De Wied (1967), Givant and Sulman (1976)

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Abbreviations

ACTH:

Adrenocorticotropic hormone

ADH:

Antidiuretic hormone, vasopressin

FSH:

Follicle stimulating hormone

ICSH:

Interstitial stimulating hormone (in the male)

LH:

Luteinizing hormone (in the female)

LTH:

Luteotropic hormone, lactotropic hormone (prolactin)

MAO:

Monoamine oxidase

MSH:

Melanophore stimulating hormone (intermedin)

PIF:

Prolactin inhibiting factor

PRF:

Prolactin releasing factor

STH:

Somatotropic hormone, growth hormone

TSH:

Thyrotropic hormone

UCH:

Uterus contracting hormone (oxytocin)

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Authors
  1. F. G. Sulman
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  2. Y. Givant
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Pharmakologie, Bayer AG, Aprather Weg 18a, D-5600, Wuppertal 1, Germany

    F. Hoffmeister

  2. Institut für Arzneimittel des Bundesgesundheitsamtes, StauffenbergstraÜe 13, D-100, Berlin 30, Germany

    G. Stille

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Sulman, F.G., Givant, Y. (1980). Endocrine Effects of Neuroleptics. In: Hoffmeister, F., Stille, G. (eds) Psychotropic Agents. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, vol 55 / 1. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-67538-6_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-67538-6_15

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