Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 1986; 87(2): 208-210
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1210545
Short Communication

© J. A. Barth Verlag in Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Effect of Prolonged Administration of CRF on Plasma Concentrations of ACTH in Patients with Addison's Disease

K. Pirich, H. Vierhapper, P. Nowotny, W. Waldhäusl
  • I. Medizinische Universitätsklinik (Vorstand: Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. E. Deutsch), Abteilung für klinische Endokrinologie und Diabetes mellitus, Wien/Österreich
Further Information

Publication History

1985

Publication Date:
16 July 2009 (online)

Summary

To investigate the possibility that the prolonged administration of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) might suppress rather than enhance pituitary ACTH-secretion 24-hour infusions (50 μg/h) of ovine CRF were performed in 6 patients with adrenocortical insufficiency. CRF induced a heterogenous behaviour of plasma ACTH concentrations in these hypercorticotropinemic patients but both a sustained increase and a suppression of ACTH was clearly absent at the end of the 24 hour infusion period. Thus, continuous administration of CRF does not appear to be a promising way to control abundance of plasma ACTH concentrations in patients with Addison's disease.

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