Thyroid hormones and TSH, prolactin and LH responses to repeated TRH and LRH injections in depressed patients

Abstract

Twelve patients with unipolar depressive disorders received 600 microgram of synthetic TRH or LRH, in a random order, for 3 days each. Placebo injections were given as two 3-day courses prior to and between the active treatments. Serum TSH, prolactin (Prl) and LH were measured by radioimmunoassays prior to the experiment as well as immediately before and 20 min after each injection. Serum T4 and T3 were determined by radioimmunoassays before the treatments and 24 h after the first two TRH injections. Serum T4 level in depressed patients did not differ from controls. Serum T3 level in depressed patients was significantly below, and the reverse T3 level was slightly above the normal mean. However, the latter difference was not statistically significant due to the large variation of rT3 levels among the depressed patients. The TSH responses did not differ from that of controls after the first injection but the responses after the second injection were lower than in a control study. The Prl responses to TRH were sub-normal in seven out of eight patients. Blunted LH responses to LRH were seen in three patients.

Serum Concentrations of Circulating Thyroid Hormones in a Group of Depressed Men

“…This is similar to the findings of Linnoila et al [2] and Orsulak et al [4], On the other hand, other studies on T3 in depressed patients reported it normal [3,9], Furthermore, Spratt et al [10] reported increased T3 and T4 levels in a series of 646 psychiatric patients that included depressed subjects.…”

“…Serum levels of total thyrox ine (TT4) and free thyroxine (FT4) in depressed patients have been described elevated, decreased, and normal [1][2][3][4], On the other hand, triiodothyronine (T3) levels in depressed patients were reported low [4] and normal [ …”

Neuroendocrinological and Clinical Data upon Trazodone Treatment in Depressed Patients

“…Inexplainable abnormal PRL titres in depression have been observed by other workers when PRL was studied around the clock [Mendlewicz et al, 1980] or by means of basal values taken only in the morning [Sachar et al. 1973;Maedaex al., 1975;Horrobin et al, 1976;Linnoila et al, 1979]. Besides, in monopolar depression PRL responses to insulin hypoglycemia, /-dopa, and thyrotropin-releasing hormone have been found within the normal ranges [Sachar et al, 1973;Ehrensing et al, 1974;Maeda et al, 1975;Brambilla et al, 1979;Ettigi and Brown, 1979], However, as it occurs also in the groups of Halbreich et al [1979] and Mendlewicz et al [1980], the PRL levels during the awake pe riod are higher and sleep levels are lower in our untreated monopolar depressed patients in respect to controls.…”

Thyrotropin and Prolactin Responses to Different Doses of Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone in Depression

“…This secretory alteration is, how ever, unexplained. Up to now inconclusive PRL data have been obtained in depressed patients given TRH: mention of enhanced [22], normal [23] and in a few sub jects inhibited responses have been made [24][25][26][27][28], The blunting or the abolition of PRL response to TRH that we observed led us to regard PRL as an interesting bio logical index in depression, along with TSH. At variance with the data of Linkowski et al [27], which indicate an impairment of PRL response to TRH only in menopau sal depressed women, our findings seem to exclude an interference of ovarian function changes in the response.…”