Urinary phenylethylamine correlates positively with hypomania, and negatively with depression, paranoia, and social introversion on the MMPI

Longitudinal associations of pre-pregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain with maternal urinary metabolites: an NYU CHES study

Background/Objectives:

Excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) and pre-pregnancy obesity affect a significant portion of the US pregnant population and are linked with negative maternal and child health outcomes. The objective of this study was to explore associations of pre-pregnancy body mass index (pBMI) and GWG with longitudinally measured maternal urinary metabolites throughout pregnancy.

Subjects/Methods:

Among 652 participants in the New York University Children’s Health and Environment Study, a longitudinal pregnancy cohort, targeted metabolomics were measured in serially collected urine samples throughout pregnancy. Metabolites were measured at median 10 (T1), 21 (T2), and 29 (T3) weeks gestation using the Biocrates AbsoluteIDQ® p180 Urine Extension kit. Acylcarnitine, amino acid, biogenic amine, phosphatidylcholine, lysophosphatidylcholine, sphingolipid, and sugar levels were quantified. Pregnant people 18 years or older, without type 1 or 2 diabetes and with singleton live births and valid pBMI and metabolomics data were included. GWG and pBMI were calculated using weight and height data obtained from electronic health records. Linear mixed effects models with interactions with time were fit to determine the gestational age-specific associations of categorical pBMI and continuous interval-specific GWG with urinary metabolites. All analyses were corrected for false discovery rate.

Results:

Participants with obesity had lower long-chain acylcarnitine levels throughout pregnancy and lower phosphatidylcholine and glucogenic amino acids and higher phenylethylamine concentrations in T2 and T3 compared with participants with normal/underweight pBMI. GWG was associated with taurine in T2 and T3 and C5 acylcarnitine species, C5:1, C5-DC, and C5-M-DC, in T2.

Conclusions:

pBMI and GWG were associated with the metabolic environment of pregnant individuals, particularly in relation to mid-pregnancy. These results highlight the importance of both preconception and prenatal maternal health.

Hypomane Persönlichkeit - Psychometrische Evaluation und erste Ergebnisse zur Validität der deutschen Version der Chapman-Skala

Zusammenfassung. Die deutsche Version der Skala Hypomane Persönlichkeit (Hyp) von Eckblad und Chapman wird erstmalig an einer nicht-studentischen Stichprobe (n = 279) psychometrisch evaluiert. Aufgrund der bisherigen Forschung wird erwartet, daß Hyp mit Schizotypie, Zwanghaftigkeit und emotionaler Instabilität assoziiert ist. Zusätzlich zu korrelativen Analysen wird eine psychometrisch definierte hypomane Risikogruppe (n = 26) mit einer hinsichtlich Geschlecht, Alter und Schulbildung parallelisierten Kontrollgruppe (n = 26) verglichen. Die Skala erweist sich als stabil, reliabel und zeigt korrelative Zusammenhänge zu schizotypen Merkmalen. Im Gruppenvergleich zeigen hypomane Risikopersonen signifikant höhere Werte in den Skalen Magisches Denken und Soziale Anhedonie und berichten - nach Kontrolle schizotyper Merkmale - signifikant mehr Anzeichen für die Borderline-Persönlichkeitsstörung. Tendenziell gilt dies auch für die zwanghafte Persönlichkeitsstörung. Die Ergebnisse sprechen für die Validität der Skala Hyp. Im Rahmen der Diskussion wird auch auf wichtige Fragestellungen einer psychometrischen High-risk-Forschung zu affektiven Störungen hingewiesen.

On the physiology of metazoa

The problem on integration and control of the various processes of the metazoan organism is a major challenge to the physiologist. The traditional research strategy in dealing with the problem is neuron-oriented and its roots extend back into the last century when knowledge of hormones was lacking. In the present article, the traditional strategy is analyzed in the light of available data and its logical basis is questioned. Different levels of communication are supposed to occur in the animal or human body. Circulating hormones are responsible for the highest level of communication that occurs between organs or tissues. The central concept in the article is that regulation of circulating hormones constitutes a higher level of control relative to regulation of intercellular hormones. This is regardless of whether the latter occurs in the nervous system or elsewhere. The approach is utilized in defining the mechanism that integrates and controls the part processes of the body. The mechanism is defined as endothelial; the vascular endothelial system is the controlling part and the nervous system is one of the subordinate parts. Thanks to the new approach, meaningful biological explanations of major psychiatric disorders are now possible.

The trace amines and their acidic metabolites in depression--an overview

1. Investigations of the role of the trace amines (phenylethylamine, tryptamine, m- and p-tyramine) and their acidic metabolites (phenylacetic, indoleacetic, m- and p-hydroxyphenylacetic acids) in depression are reviewed. 2. The evidence for the phenylethylamine hypothesis of depression is mixed. 3. Reduced phenylacetic acid levels in urine, plasma and CSF and changes in those levels during treatment with antidepressants show potential as state markers for depression. 4. Impaired p-tyramine conjugation following a tyramine challenge may be a good trait marker for depression.

Trace amines and Tourette's syndrome

There has been considerable interest in recent years in possible neurochemical abnormalities in Tourette's Syndrome (TS). In studies combining neuropsychological and neurochemical measurements, we have investigated the possible roles of trace amines in this disorder. Urinary levels of free beta-phenylethylamine (PEA) and plasma levels of its precursor amino acid phenylalanine were decreased in TS patients when compared to values in normal children. These urinary PEA levels in TS patients were inversely related to several scores from the Tourette's Syndrome Global Scale (TSGS). Further investigation of the group of subjects with low urinary PEA indicated that they also had low levels of MHPG, normetanephrine, 5-HT and m- and p-tyramine. Patients with low PEA were also compared on an extensive battery of neuropsychological measures and observed to perform significantly worse than TS patients with normal urinary PEA levels. Biochemical measurements also suggest a possible abnormality in tryptamine turnover in TS since urinary levels of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA; the acid metabolite of tryptamine) are significantly lower in TS patients than in normal controls.

The effects of some neuroleptics and d-amphetamine on striatal 2-phenylethylamine in the mouse

1. Mouse striatal 2-phenylethylamine was not changed at 2 hr following the administration of chlorpromazine, fluphenazine or spiperone. 2. In contrast, when the mice were first given pargyline (2 mg kg-1), treated with chlorpromazine, fluphenazine or spiperone 2 hr later and killed at 4 hr, a significant increase (to 130-170%) in the accumulation of 2-phenylethylamine was observed with respect to the pargyline controls. 3. The effect of chlorpromazine was consistently observed after pretreatment with either deprenyl (2 mg kg -1) or high doses (200 mg kg-1) of pargyline that produced different degrees of MAO inhibition. 4. Following pretreatment with pargyline (2 mg kg-1), d-amphetamine (5 mg kg-1) produced a significant reduction in striatal 2-phenylethylamine concentrations (to 39% of pargyline-treated controls). 5. The findings show that inhibition of dopamine transmission by neuroleptics increases the rate of 2-phenylethylamine accumulation. 6. Conversely, a stimulation of dopamine transmission by d-amphetamine results in a reduction in the rate of accumulation of 2-phenylethylamine and supports the concept of 2-phenylethylamine may be a neuromodulator of dopamine transmission.

Personality factors predisposing to depression correlate significantly negatively with M1-muscarinic and beta-adrenergic receptor densities on blood cells

A relationship between psychological and neurobiological predisposition factors for affective disorders has been suggested. The aim of the present study was to test this hypothesis. As predisposition measures of affective disorders, muscarinic and beta-adrenergic receptors densities on blood cells and personality traits were determined in 16 male volunteers. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), Freiburger Personality Inventory (FPI), and Premorbid Personality Inventory (PPI) were used for personality assessment. The erythrocyte muscarinic receptor density (mainly M1 subtype) correlated highly significantly negatively with depression on the MMPI (r = -0.71; P less than 0.001) as well as significantly positively with reactive aggressiveness (dominance) on the FPI (r = 0.48; P less than 0.05) and extraversion on the PPI (r = 0.46; P less than 0.05). The beta-adrenoceptor density on lymphocytes correlated significantly negatively with spontaneous aggressiveness (r = -0.51; P less than 0.05) on the FPI. These results are the first evidence that premorbid personality traits of depressives are related to M1-muscarinic and beta-adrenergic receptors densities. It is speculated that decreased beta-adrenergic receptor densities might predispose an individual to major depression whereas a decrease of M1-muscarinic receptor densities could play a role in the development of minor depressions. The findings of the present study are compatible with the postulated relationship between personality and neurobiological predisposition factors of depressive disorders. They suggest the participation of neurobiological factors in the development of personality traits predisposing to depression. However, they seem to be nonspecific for depression and are probably neither a sufficient nor a necessary cause of this disorder. Additional biological or psychological factors seem to be required for the development of clinical depressions.