FURTHER NEUROENDOCRINE EVIDENCE FOR REDUCED D(2)-DOPAMINE RECEPTOR FUNCTION IN ALCOHOLISM

D2 dopamine receptor function, as assessed by growth hormone (GH) resp onses to apomorphine (APO; 0.18-0.24 mg i.v.), was investigated in 15 male alcoholics with reported long-term abstinence. Results from only nine subjects could be evaluated. These subjects had been heavy alcoho l consumers for a mean of 15 +/- 10 years and had thereafter been abst inent for a mean of 7 +/- 6 years prior to the investigation. Eight ma le healthy subjects, all of whom were light social drinkers, were sele cted as controls. The maximum GH responses to APO were significantly l ower in the alcoholics (5.8 +/- 5.8 mU/l) than in the controls (22.1 /- 19.2 mU/l). This finding gives neuroendocrine evidence for reduced D2 dopamine receptor function in alcoholics with long-term abstinence.