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[Dexamethasone and its role in the prolactin secretion after TRH]
P P Morosini1, N Campanella, S Sturbini
1Istituto di Medicina Sperimentale e Clinica, Clinica Medica, Università degli Studi di Ancona.
Bollettino Della Societa Italiana Di Biologia Sperimentale
|January 30, 1979
Summary
Dexamethasone treatment did not alter plasma prolactin levels in women after thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) stimulation. This suggests that inhibiting adrenal cortex hormones does not affect prolactin response to TRH.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Reproductive Biology
- Hormone Research
Background:
- Plasma prolactin levels are influenced by various hormonal factors.
- Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) is a known stimulator of prolactin secretion.
- The role of adrenal cortex hormones in modulating prolactin response requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of dexamethasone, a potent inhibitor of the adrenal cortex, on plasma prolactin concentration following TRH stimulation in normal women.
Main Methods:
- Five healthy women were administered 0.75 mg of dexamethasone every 6 hours for three days.
- Plasma prolactin levels were measured after stimulation with 200 micrograms of TRH.
- A control group without dexamethasone treatment was used for comparison.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in plasma prolactin concentration was observed between women treated with dexamethasone and those without.
- The data indicate that dexamethasone administration did not alter the prolactin response to TRH.
Conclusions:
- Inhibition of adrenal cortex glucocorticoid and androgen hormones by dexamethasone does not appear to influence prolactin concentration after TRH stimulation in normal women.
- These findings suggest that adrenal cortex hormones may not play a significant role in the acute TRH-induced prolactin release in this context.
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