[Study of the dopaminergic system in various neuroendocrine diseases using the sulpiride test]

Altogether 25 patients with acromegaly, 19 patients with prolactinomas, and 6 patients with nonfunctioning hypophyseal tumors (NHT) were investigated. Dopaminergic regulation of PRL, STH, TSH, LH and FSH was investigated with sulpiride (an antagonist of peripheral action) in all the patients. In acromegaly, irrespective of the presence of hyperprolactinemia, one can observe dysfunction of the central dopaminergic system (DAE) and DAE-regulation of adenohypophyseal hormones. Signs of disordered hormonal DAE-regulation are disorder of the normal ejection of PRL and pathological ejection of TSH in response to administration of DA antagonists. The results of investigations revealed both an enhanced tone of the DAE-system and insufficiency of DAE-control of hormonal secretion in patients with different hypophyseal tumors and other neuroendocrine diseases.