title: Brain evoked responses, a bioassay for central actions of adrenocorticotropin (ACTH 1-39) and corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) in humans.
abstract: Blood borne hormones of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis form an afferent humoral system modulating a great variety of brain functions. In humans, bioassays consistently reflecting central nervous system actions have not been developed, so far. The present experiments are part of a series of studies which have been conducted to demonstrate the afferent influences of ACTH and CRH on brain activity by recording of auditory event-related brain potentials (ERPs) in healthy human subjects. In a double-blind within-subject comparison in 12 healthy male students, influences of 4 U ACTH and 100 micrograms CRH (infused within 2 h; the infusion starting 1 h prior to ERP recordings) were compared with the effects of a placebo infusion. Influences of the hormones were tested for the early, brain stem generated ERP components (BAEPs) and for the late components of the ERP associated with cortical stimulus processing. ACTH and CRH showed no consistent effect on BAEPs. ACTH, but not CRH, significantly reduced amplitudes of late ERP components, in particular, the Nd and P3 components which are considered signs of selective attention. These results are consistent with findings from previous studies demonstrating impaired ERP signs of selective attention in humans after administration of the 4-10 fragment of ACTH which lacks the peripheral adrenocorticotropic activity. Together with these foregoing studies, results from the present experiments further establish ERP methodology as a sensitive bioassay for CNS actions of hormones in humans.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Angewandte Physiologie und Innere Medizin I, Universität Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Born
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Seidel
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pietrowsky
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Fehm
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000328:Adult; D001681:Biological Assay; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone