EVIDENCE FOR DIFFERING DOPAMINERGIC ACTIVITY IN CHILDHOOD‐ OR ADULT‐ONSET OBESITY

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Abstract
To investigate dopaminergic activity in 2 types of human obesity, childhood- and adult-onset, the responses of plasma TSH and prolactin to domperidone, a dopamine receptor antagonist, were studied in: 12 patients obese since early childhood, 12 patients with adult-onset obesity and 12 lean controls. All subjects were females. In childhood-onset obese patients, the responses of plasma prolactin and TSH to antidopaminergic stimulation were lower than those of adult-onset obese patients and lean controls. The stimulus elicited a normal response of plasma prolactin and an exaggerated response of plasma TSH in adult-onset obese patients. The presence of differing dopaminergic tone in the 2 types of human obesity was indicated.