title: [H2 histamine antagonists and the hypothalamo-hypophyseal-gonadal axis: effect of short-term treatment on serum levels of prolactin, FSH, LH and testosterone in male ulcer patients].
abstract: Serum prolactin (PRL ng/ml) was measured in 7 male patients on cimetidine (CMT) and in 13 on ranitidine (RNT) before therapy and 5, 10, 15 and 30 days after; at the same intervals FSH (ng/ml), LH (ng/ml) and testosterone (ng/ml) were measured in 5 patients too, in order to ascertain hypothalamic, pituitary, gonadal dysfunction caused by H2 histamine blockers. In agreement with other authors, FSH, LH and testosterone were not affected: no statistical difference was found between basal values and the times of follow-up. In RNT-treated patients PRL showed a little, but not significant increase; in CMT-treated group PRL increased with a peak on 10th day (19.41 +/- 2.14 ng/ml vs. 9.50 +/- 1.72 ng/ml; P less than 0.01); on 30th day PRL levels were still higher than basal ones (15.85 +/- 2.38 ng/ml vs. 9.50 +/- 1.72 ng/ml; P less than 0.05). Unlike other trials we observed that PRL rises very early in oral treatment with CMT, perhaps for resetting of inhibiting factors, it trends to decrease and reach basal values shortly after 30th day notwithstanding therapy. It is now widely accepted that H2 blocker's action is on central histaminergic pathways modulating PRL secretion; in our opinion, the measured differences of PRL secretion with CMT and RNT in short term observations, are produced by different crossing of blood-brain barreer.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002927:Cimetidine / Q000494:pharmacology; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D006635:Histamine H2 Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000502:physiology; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000097:blood*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood*; D011899:Ranitidine / Q000494:pharmacology; D013737:Testis / Q000502:physiology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D006635:Histamine H2 Antagonists; D013739:Testosterone; D002927:Cimetidine; D011899:Ranitidine; D011388:Prolactin; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone
vernacular_title: Gli H2 istamino antagonisti e l'asse ipotalamo-ipofisi-gonadi: effetto del trattamento a breve termine sui livelli sierici di prolattina, FSH, LH e testosterone in ulcerosi di sesso maschile.