Comparison of the effects of endothelin-1 and -3 on secretion of pituitary hormones in healthy male volunteers.
The investigation was conducted to study the effects of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and endothelin-3 (ET-3) on adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), cortisol and prolactin release in man. The design was a prospective placebo controlled double-blind study, including 7 healthy males studied on three occasions. After infusion of either 20 ng/min x kg ET-1, ET-3 or normal saline, venous blood samples were drawn 12 times for determination of ACTH, cortisol and prolactin during the pre- within- and postinfusion period. ET-1 infusion induced a significant increase of plasma ACTH (p< 0.009) and prolactin (p<0.0001) whereas cortisol levels increased without reaching significance (p<0.074). Infusion of ET-3 induced no changes in plasma levels of ACTH, cortisol or prolactin. The parallel increase of ACTH and prolactin induced by infusion of ET-1 could indicate an involvement of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) in mediating the ET-1 effect on the HPA-axis in man. Whether this supports a possible role of ET-1 as a modulator of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis remains to be clarified.
Kiefer
F
F
Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. kiefer@uke.uni-hamburg.de
Kellner
M
M
Jahn
H
H
Wiedemann
K
K
D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019334:Endothelin-3 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D010907:Pituitary Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D013997:Time Factors
D019332:Endothelin-1; D019334:Endothelin-3; D010907:Pituitary Hormones; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D011388:Prolactin; D006854:Hydrocortisone