Clinical investigations for emotional effects of neuropeptide hormones.
After the demonstration that hypothalamic peptides can have a direct effect on the central nervous system, a series of studies was initiated to investigate the hypothesis that hypothalamic peptides could have an effect on emotions and affect. TRH was administered to 6 patients with endogenous depressions in a double-blind, cross-over design with transient improvements in the mental depression of 4 of the 6 patients. In a second study involving 8 seriously depressed patients given 1000 mug of TRH for 10 days, no significant antidepressant effect of TRH was observed. In a pilot, double-blind study of 18 women with endogenous depressions, the group receiving MIF-1 60 mg per day in a single daily dose for 6 days responded better than the placebo group, which in turn responded better than the group receiving MIF-1 150 mg per day. In a second, double-blind study testing MIF-1 in endogenous depressions, 5 patients met the criteria for substantial improvement out of a total of 8 receiving MIF-1 75 mg per day. In contrast, only one patient met these criteria in each of the remaining 2 groups, consisting of 10 patients receiving MIF-1 750 mg per day and 5 patients receiving placebo. Finally, 6 men complaining of decreased libido and/or potency were given intravenous injections of LHRH 700 mug or saline once daily for 3 consecutive days per week in a double-blind, cross-over design. In addition, 3 men were given much higher doses of LHRH in a single-blinded study. No substantial effect on libido or sexual performance was observed.
D000328:Adult; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy; D004644:Emotions / Q000187:drug effects*; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007989:Libido / Q000187:drug effects; D009075:MSH Release-Inhibiting Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone; D009075:MSH Release-Inhibiting Hormone