PROLACTIN AND CORTISOL RELEASE DURING ECT ARE NOT INFLUENCED BY PRETREATMENT WITH THE SEROTONIN RECEPTOR AGONIST SUMATRIPTAN

The prolactin release during electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) can be in hibited by pretreatment with methysergide, a 5HT1, 5HT2, and dopamine receptor antagonist, but not by the specific 5HT2 antagonists ketanser in or ritanserin. To investigate if 5HT1 receptors are involved in the ECT induced hormone release, the 5HT1-like receptor agonist sumatript an was used as a pharmacologic probe. Compared to placebo, sumatriptan alone, 100 mg orally, had a positive influence on prolactin plasma le vels 20 min after administration, and a negative influence on cortisol , at +40 min. Given 15 min prior to ECT (7 depressive women), sumatrip tan did not alter the patterns of prolactin and cortisol release obtai ned during ECT without sumatriptan. The results indicate that 5HT1-lik e receptors do not participate in the ECT induced hormone release.