title: Corticotropin-releasing hormone: stimulation of ACTH secretion in normal man.
abstract: Synthetic ovine corticotropin-releasing hormone (oCRH) is a potent and specific ACTH secretagogue in man. Threshold and maximal i.v. doses are 0.01-0.03 and 3-10 micrograms/kg or less, but increase in frequency, severity, and duration at higher doses. oCRH produces a biphasic plasma immunoreactive (IR)-ACTH response and has a prolonged duration of action that is probably due to its long circulating half-life. Other pro-opiomelanocortin IR-peptide are secreted concomitantly in equimolar amounts. Plasma IR-cortisol concentration tends to follow that of ACTH, but also reflects cortisol's longer circulating half-life and the fact that acutely the maximally-stimulating plasma IR-ACTH level is about 45 pg/ml. oCRH is as effective given s.c. as i.v., but intranasal administration is only 1% as effective. Sex and age have no effect on the plasma IR-ACTH and IR-cortisol responses to oCRH. The time of day of oCRH administration has little influence on the plasma IR-ACTH response, but the plasma IR-cortisol response is much greater to oCRH given later in the day than early in the morning. Plasma IR-ACTH response to oCRH is more dependent on the basal plasma IR-cortisol level than the time of day. Arginine vasopressin given at the same time as oCRH potentiates 4-fold the plasma IR-ACTH response to oCRH alone, almost to levels obtained with insulin-induced hypoglycemia. However, oCRH administered at the onset of insulin-induced hypoglycemia does not cause higher plasma IR-ACTH levels, indicating that endogenous CRH levels are maximally-stimulating during the hypoglycemic response.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: DeBold
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Orth
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: DeCherney
authors.forename: R V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Sheldon
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Nicholson
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Island
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000494:pharmacology; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000187:drug effects; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005260:Female; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology; D007328:Insulin; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010908:Pituitary Hormones, Anterior / Q000378:metabolism; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin / Q000378:metabolism; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D010908:Pituitary Hormones, Anterior; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone