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. © 1990 Springer-Verlag.
PLASMA AND CSF TRYPTOPHAN IN CANCER ANOREXIA / Cangiano, Carlo Oreste; Cascino, Antonia; Ceci, Fabrizio; Laviano, Alessandro; M., Mulieri; Muscaritoli, Maurizio; ROSSI FANELLI, Filippo. - In: JOURNAL OF NEURAL TRANSMISSION. - ISSN 0300-9564. - STAMPA. - 81:3(1990), pp. 225-233. [10.1007/bf01245044]
PLASMA AND CSF TRYPTOPHAN IN CANCER ANOREXIA
CANGIANO, Carlo Oreste;CASCINO, Antonia;CECI, Fabrizio;LAVIANO, Alessandro;MUSCARITOLI, Maurizio;ROSSI FANELLI, Filippo
1990
Abstract
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. © 1990 Springer-Verlag.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
