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AN ANALOGUE OF MET‐ENKEPHALIN ATTENUATES THE PITUITARY‐ADRENAL RESPONSE TO OVINE CORTICOTROPHIN RELEASING FACTOR
Author(s) -
GROSSMAN A.,
DELITALA G.,
MANNELLI M.,
ALDAMLUJI S.,
COY D. H.,
BESSER G. M.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
clinical endocrinology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1365-2265
pISSN - 0300-0664
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2265.1986.tb01708.x
Subject(s) - medicine , endocrinology , corticotropic cell , stimulation , met enkephalin , anterior pituitary , chemistry , enkephalin , hormone , receptor , opioid
SUMMARY The met‐enkephalin analogue, DAMME, suppresses the pituitary‐adrenal axis in normal subjects; it is not clear whether this occurs at the level of the pituitary or above. We therefore administered synthetic ovine corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF‐41) 100 μg i.v. to a group of normal male subjects, with or without pretreatment with DAMME 250 μg i.v., and monitored the response of plasma ACTH and serum cortisol. CRF‐41 caused a marked stimulation of ACTH and cortisol release, but this was significantly attenuated by pretreatment with DAMME. It is therefore concluded that DAMME either directly inhibits the corticotroph at the level of the pituitary, or that it suppresses release of an additional factor which normally potentiates the action of CRF‐41 on the pituitary.