Th. Schurmeyer et al., EFFECT OF CYPROHEPTADINE ON EPISODIC ACTH AND CORTISOL SECRETION, European journal of clinical investigation, 26(5), 1996, pp. 397-403
Citations number
60
Categorie Soggetti
Medicine, Research & Experimental","Medicine, General & Internal
To investigate the effect of cyproheptadine on ACTH and cortisol secre
tion, we obtained blood samples at 10-min intervals for 24 h in six he
althy volunteers under basal conditions and under treatment with 16 mg
day(-1) cyproheptadine. Cyproheptadine caused significant decreases i
n mean plasma ACTH and cortisol levels in 30% and 19% of samples, resp
ectively, mainly in the afternoon and evening. Analysis of episodic ho
rmone secretion by three different methods demonstrated that the drug
did not modulate the frequency but lowered the amplitudes of ACTH and
cortisol secretory episodes. ACTH and cortisol responses following ovi
ne CRH injection at 20.00 h were unchanged. We conclude that in the af
ternoon and evening central serotoninergic mechanisms influence the ac
tivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis at the hypothalamic
level by modulating the amplitude of the secretory hormonal bursts, bu
t do not influence the increase in ACTH and cortisol secretion in the
morning.