[Exophthalmogenic effect of thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) in the animal experiment]

Exophthalmos has been induced in carp by injecting thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) (PYRO-glutamyl-histidyl-prolinamide) into the coelom. This effect was dose-dependent (dose range 5-750 mug). It was significantly potentiated by prior administration of beta-1 minus 24 coricotropin (Synacthen, Ciba) and inhibited by prednisclone. No significant increase was obtained with 2-phenylalanine-8-lysire-vasopressin (Octapressin, Sandoz). The results show that in the fish model, TRH exerts an exophthalmogenic effect by stimulating endogenous TSH, whereas in man this is not the case. They afford further evidence that the carp model does not reproduce the conditions which occur in ophthalmic Graves' disease.