EFFECTS OF CORTICOTROPIN-RELEASING HORMONE ON ACTH, CORTISOL AND 13,14-DIHYDRO-15-KETO PROSTAGLANDIN E(2) IN PATIENTS WITH DIABETES-INSIPIDUS BEFORE AND AFTER CAPTOPRIL TREATMENT

A corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) test was performed on 7 patien ts with central diabetes insipidus (DI) and on 7 healthy subjects. The test was repeated on the patients with DI after 3 days of oral treatm ent with captopril at a dose of 100 mg daily. No significant differenc e in the responses of plasma ACTH and cortisol to CRH between the pati ents and the controls was found. The short-term captopril treatment re sulted in a significant decrease of both basal and CRH-stimulated ACTH and cortisol;levels in the patients with DI. CRH did not induce any c hanges in the stable metabolite of prostaglandin E(2) 13,14-dihydro-15 -keto-prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)-M) in the patients with DI before or after the captopril treatment. The results obtained suggest that vasop ressin is not an obligatory factor for a normal ACTH response to CRH. Angiotensin II (A II) is involved in the regulation of ACTH. This stud y confirmed our previous data showing the lack of any specific effect of CRH on PGE(2) production.