Pituitary-thyroid function has been studied in heroin addicts. Data have been obtained in 10 male addicts, aged 18-24 years, with histories of addiction to heroin alone lasting from 8 months to 4 years, and in 9 controls matched for sex and age. Basal plasma levels of TSH, T4 and T3 were measured. A TRH stimulation test was done, injecting 500 micrograms of TRH iv as a bolus and assaying TSH levels before the injection and at 30 min intervals up to 2 h afterwards. The results revealed no difference between addicts and controls in basal levels of TSH, T4 and T3. The TRH stimulation test induced a blunted TSH rise in 50% of the cases. The possible mechanism of action of heroin on pituitary-thyroid axis is discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Suppression of clonidine-induced release of growth hormone by thyrotropin releasing hormone in humans.

A single oral dose of clonidine (0.15 mg), a selective alpha-adrenergic stimulating agent, was able to increase plasma growth hormone (GH) levels (above 5 ng/ml) in 6 out of 7 normal men tested. This GH increase was independent of the hypotensive effect of the drug and was observed without any modification of plasma prolactin, thyroid stimulating hormone, gonadotropins and glycemia. When oral clonidine administration was associated to a slow thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) infusion (1 mg dissolved in 400 ml of 0.9% saline solution, at a constant rate during 150 min) the plasma GH response was significantly inhibited when compared with that observed after clonidine alone. These results suggest that in normal subjects TRH is capable of blocking the effect of an alpha-adrenergic stimulus which is conceivably acting at the level of central nervous system.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Therapeutic efficacy of piperacillin in internal medicine].

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Adolescent↗