Pentagastrin infusions in patients with panic disorder I. Symptoms and cardiovascular responses

• Published in: Biological psychiatry (1969) Vol. 36; no. 2; pp. 73 - 83
• Main Authors: Abelson, James L., Nesse, Randolph M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 15.07.1994; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Agoraphobia - diagnosis; Agoraphobia - physiopathology; Anxiety disorders. Neuroses; Arousal - drug effects; Arousal - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; blood pressure; Blood Pressure - drug effects; Blood Pressure - physiology; cholecystokinin; Cholecystokinin - physiology; Female; heart rate; Heart Rate - drug effects; Heart Rate - physiology; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Norepinephrine - blood; Panic - drug effects; Panic - physiology; Panic disorder; Panic Disorder - diagnosis; Panic Disorder - physiopathology; Pentagastrin; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Receptors, Cholecystokinin - drug effects; Receptors, Cholecystokinin - physiology; Single-Blind Method; symptoms; Tetragastrin; symptoms; cholecystokinin; blood pressure; Pentagastrin; heart rate; panic disorder; Human; Heart rate; Symptomatology; Agonist; Panic; Intravenous administration; Anxiety disorder; Anxiety; Blood pressure; Hemodynamics; Experimental study
• ISSN: 0006-3223; 1873-2402
• DOI: 10.1016/0006-3223(94)91187-8

Cholecystokinin (CCK) may mediate human anxiety and animal data suggest that cholecystokinin antagonists could provide an important advance in the treatment of anxiety disorders. The study of CCK receptor systems in psychiatric patients has, however, been severely limited by the lack of available probes. We utilized intravenous infusions of pentagastrin, a selective CCK-B receptor agonist, and studied behavioral and cardiovascular responses in 10 patients with panic disorder and 10 normal controls. Pentagastrin produced substantial symptomatology, including anxiety, and increases in heart rate and blood pressure, in both patients and controls. Patients were more sensitive to the panicogenic effects of the pentagastrin. Panic attacks occurred in 70% of patients and 0% of controls. Patients' symptom responses were very similar to their “typical” panic attacks and to symptoms produced by CCK 4. Pentagastrin provides a readily available alternative to CCK 4 for studying the CCK receptor system and exploring its involvement in human anxiety.