Abstract
To test the role of serotonin in chemotherapy-induced nausea and emesis, ten cancer patients were pretreated with the serotonin synthesis inhibitor para-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA). PCPA (2 g 8 hourly for 2 or 3 days prior to cisplatin) reduced the spontaneous urinary excretion of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), inhibited the increase in urinary 5-HIAA induced by cisplatin and markedly attenuated the acute period of nausea and vomiting associated with the cytotoxic drug. These results indicate that gastrointestinal serotonin mediates cisplatin-induced emesis and that the amount of serotonin released by cisplatin is a major factor in determining the severity of the acute period of emesis experienced by the patient.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 24 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $10.79 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Alfieri, A., Cubeddu, L. Treatment with para-chlorophenylalanine antagonises the emetic response and the serotonin-releasing actions of cisplatin in cancer patients. Br J Cancer 71, 629–632 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.1995.123
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.1995.123
This article is cited by
-
Double-blind, randomized, parallel-group study on the efficacy and safety of oral granisetron and oral ondansetron in the prophylaxis of nausea and vomiting in patients receiving hyperfractionated total body irradiation
Bone Marrow Transplantation (2000)
-
Cisplatin-induced early and delayed emesis in the pigeon
British Journal of Pharmacology (2000)
-
Management der Chemotherapie-induzierten Emesis: Was ist Standard nach 20 Jahren klinischer Forschung?
Medizinische Klinik (1998)
-
New perspectives in antiemetic treatment
Supportive Care in Cancer (1996)