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University Department of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, EH10 5HF, and *Simbec Research Laboratory, Cefn Coed, Merthyr Tydfil, Mid-Glamorgan, CF48 2PH

(Received 12 July 1976)

A study of the relationship between nocturnal endogenous plasma oestrogen and free plasma tryptophan levels in perimenopausal women is reported. The study was approved by the Royal Edinburgh Hospital Ethics Committee, and all subjects gave informed consent.

The three subjects in the study had symptoms associated with the climacterium, including hot flushes, insomnia, and depression. Case 1 was 5 years post-menopausal, Case 2 had 8 months amenorrhoea, and Case 3 had only 6 months amenorrhoea.

Blood was sampled during sleep from 22.30 to 07.00 h at 20 min intervals by means of an indwelling catheter as described by Ogunremi, Adamson, Brezinova, Hunter, MacLean, Oswald & Percy-Robb (1973). It was centrifuged immediately and the plasma deep frozen.

Total plasma tryptophan was measured by the method of