title: Absence of detectable immunoreactive alpha melanocyte stimulating hormone in plasma in various types of Cushing's disease.
abstract: We have measured alpha-MSH in plasma of normal subjects and subjects with various diseases of the pituitary-adrenocortical system using a radioimmunoassay with a sensitivity of 1.2 pmol/l. No alpha-MSH could be detected in plasma of normal subjects (n = 6), in plasma of patients with Addison's disease (n = 3), Nelson's syndrome (n = 2), bromocriptine responsive (n = 2) and unresponsive (n = 5) Cushing's disease and in plasma of psychiatric patients on chronic treatment with the dopamine antagonist haloperidol (n = 5). Plasma alpha-MSH remained undetectable in 2 patients with Cushing's disease after iv injection of 60 micrograms/kg haloperidol. In contrast, alpha-MSH was detectable in plasma of normal dogs (n = 2) and dogs with pituitary dependent hyperadrenocorticism (n = 2), whereas the iv injection of halo peridol was associated with a rise of plasma alpha-MSH. Thus we are unable to detect circulating alpha-MSH in man despite the use of a sensitive radioimmunoassay.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, University Hospital, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Croughs
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Thijssen
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Mol
mesh_terms: D000224:Addison Disease / Q000097:blood; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D003480:Cushing Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D004285:Dogs; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy; D009347:Nelson Syndrome / Q000097:blood; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D000521:alpha-MSH / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000521:alpha-MSH; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D011388:Prolactin; D006220:Haloperidol