Corticotropin releasing hormone increases apparent potency of adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation of cortisol secretion.
OBJECTIVE
Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) has a regulatory effect on cortisol secretion in addition to its classic effect of stimulating adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) secretion.


METHODS
There is growing evidence of "long-loop" and paracrine adrenal stimulation by CRH. Data from a study of the ovine-corticotropin releasing hormone (oCRH) stimulation test in 13 sexually abused girls and 13 normal controls was used in Montecarlo simulations of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, to get estimates of adrenal sensitivity to ACTH and cortisol elimination kinetics before and after oCRH administration. In both controls and sexually abused girls, ACTH had an apparent greater effect on cortisol secretion after administration of oCRH compared to its effect during the baseline period. This lends support to the hypothesis and suggests that it should be tested experimentally.
Gonzalez-Heydrich
J
J
Department of Psychiatry, Program in Informatics, Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Ave., Boston, MS 02115, USA. joseph.gonzalez-heydrich@tch.harvard.edu
Steingard
R J
RJ
Putnam
F W
FW
De Bellis
M D
MD
Beardslee
W
W
Kohane
I S
IS
D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000502:physiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*
D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone