Related Experiment Videos
Corticotropin-releasing factor: pharmacokinetics in man
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
|January 1, 1984
Summary
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) has a short plasma half-life in humans, with fast and slow components. Its low metabolic clearance rate may explain its prolonged biological effects.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Pharmacokinetics
Background:
- Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is a peptide hormone from the hypothalamus.
- CRF plays a key role in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.
- CRF has potential clinical applications for testing HPA axis function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the pharmacokinetic parameters of CRF in humans.
- To measure the metabolic clearance rate (MCR) and plasma half-life of immunoreactive CRF (IR-CRF).
Main Methods:
- Synthetic ovine CRF was administered to 12 healthy men via bolus injection or continuous infusion.
- Plasma IR-CRF levels were measured over time.
- Pharmacokinetic parameters, including MCR and half-life, were calculated.
Main Results:
- Plasma IR-CRF exhibited a biexponential disappearance curve.
- The fast plasma half-life of IR-CRF was 11.6 minutes, and the slow component was 73 minutes.
- The MCR was approximately 95 liters/m²/day, with a volume of distribution of 6.2 liters.
Conclusions:
- CRF has a relatively short plasma half-life in humans.
- The MCR of CRF is low, which may contribute to its prolonged biological action.
- These pharmacokinetic findings are crucial for understanding CRF's clinical utility.