NASAL SPRAY ADMINISTRATION OF BROMOCRIPTINE - PHARMACOLOGY AND EFFECTON SERUM PROLACTIN LEVEL IN PUERPERAL WOMEN

This study was aimed at investigating the absorption of nasally admini stered bromocriptine and its effect on serum prolactin level. Fifteen physiologically hyperprolactinemic women who had asked to discontinue breast feeding received a single nasal spray administration of 0.8 mg bromocriptine. Serum prolactin levels were measured by radioimmunoassa y at 30 and 15 min before drug administration, at the time of administ ration and at 15, 30, 60, 120, 240, 480 and 720 min after administrati on; bromocriptine was radioimmunoassayed in only five of the patients from time 0 to 720 min after administration. Serum bromocriptine level s increased rapidly after administration, reached a maximum at 120 min and thereafter declined slowly over the subsequent 10 h. As the bromo criptine level increased there was a decline in the serum prolactin le vel. The first significant decline in serum prolactin level compared w ith the baseline level occurred at 30 min after administration and the level continued to decrease significantly until time 120 min. Four ho urs after administration the mean serum prolactin level was within the normal assay range. The maximum decline in serum prolactin level was reached at 720 min after administration. Correlation analysis between serum bromocriptine and prolactin concentrations yielded a significant negative between times 0 and 120 min after administration. There was no significant change in mean orthostatic systolic or diastolic blood pressure or in mean heart rate. Only one patient complained of headach e and dizziness; another experienced mild transient nausea, and none h ad vomiting. Ten patients (66.67%) reported light endonasal burning an d an unpleasant taste which subsided after a few minutes; no patient s howed nasal subsided after a few minutes; no patient showed nasal irri tation at nasal examination. In conclusion, nasal administration of 0. 8 mg bromocriptine was effective in reducing the serum prolactin level for more than 12 h after administration without inducing significant side-effects.