[Prolactin secretion in Cushing's syndrome]

The results are presented of investigation on prolactin secretion in 30 patients with Icenko-Cushing's disease in the active stage and during remission, resultant of the treatment with the adrenocortical secretion inhibitor chloditan. The changes in the blood prolactin concentration were determined on the empty stomach by radioimmunoassay in the presence of insulin hypoglycemia with simultaneous thyroliberin injection. It was found that prolactin basal level in the blood increased and the hypophyseal reaction to stress, induced by insulin hypoglycemia and thyroliberin injection in the active stage of Icenko-Cushing's disease, reduced. Hypophyseal reaction to stimulants was considerably lowered in males versus females. Clinical remission of chloditan-treated Icenko-Cushing's disease was not accompanied by the blood prolactin basal level decrease and hypophyseal reaction improvement to stimulants.