title: Pilot investigation of thyrotropin-releasing hormone-induced thyrotropin and prolactin release in anxious patients treated with diazepam.
abstract: Benzodiazepines have been reported to inhibit thyrotropin (TSH) and prolactin (PRL) secretion in response to stressful and pharmacologic stimuli in experimental animals. The current study investigates basal and thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH)-stimulated TSH and PRL release in anxious patients treated with diazepam. Six hospitalized patients having generalized anxiety or adjustment disorder with anxious mood (DSM III-R criteria) were treated during 1 week with diazepam (mean daily dose 33.3 mg). TRH testing was performed comparatively before and after 7 days of diazepam administration (with 250 micrograms protirelin and blood sampling at 15-min intervals over 60 min). Steady-state plasma levels of diazepam and its metabolite nordazepam (desmethyldiazepam) were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. After 7 days of diazepam treatment, basal plasma levels of TSH and PRL were not affected compared with pretreatment values. Similarly, the time-course of TRH-induced TSH release was not modified by the treatment. By contrast, there was a trend to decrease in the TRH-induced PRL release, and the decrease in the PRL response to TRH on day 7 was significantly correlated with plasma nordazepam concentrations (rs = 0.943, p = 0.02). These preliminary results suggest that benzodiazepines, at therapeutic doses for the treatment of anxiety, may alter TRH-induced PRL release in humans.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Psychopharmacologie, CHU Hôpital La Colombière, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Humbert
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pujalte
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bottaï
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hüe
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pouget
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Petit
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003975:Diazepam / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood* / Q000187:drug effects; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood* / Q000187:drug effects; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone; D011388:Prolactin; D013972:Thyrotropin; D003975:Diazepam