H1093-H1101, 1986.-ln the present study the effects of thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) and its stable analogue, CG3703, on cardiac output (thermodilution, Cardiomax) and regional blood flow (BF; directional pulsed Doppler technique) were investigated in hypovolemic hypotension in the rat. In urethan-anesthetized rats TRH (0.5 or 2 mg/ kg ia) or CG3703 (0.05 or 0.5 mg/kg ia) reversed the bleeding (27% of the blood volume)-induced decreases in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and cardiac index (Cl) and increased the heart rate (HR) and total peripheral resistance index (TPRI) in a dose-related manner. In the conscious rat exposed to a 45% hemorrhage, CG3703 (0.5 mg/kg ia) significantly raised MAP, HR, and TPRI with maximum changes of +67 ± 6 (SE) mmHg, + 123 ± 30 beats/min, and + 101 ± 2%, respectively. CG3703 (0.5 mg/kg ia) also further enhanced the hemorrhage-induced reduction of hindquarter, mesenteric, and renal BF. The changes in BF in saline-treated vs. CG3703-treated rats 2 h after the bleeding were -32 ± 6 vs. -55 ± 6% (P < 0.001) in hindquarter, -9 ± 8 vs. -61 ± 11% (P < 0.001) in mesenteric, and -2 ± 9 vs. -33 ± 9% (P < 0.01) in the renal artery; the changes in vascular resistance +30 ± 7 vs. +309 ± 167% (P < 0.001) in hindquarter, -4 ± 8 vs. +349 ± 244% in the mesenteric, and -10 ± 9 vs. +80 ± 10% (P <: 0.01) in the renal artery.The survival rate after the 45% hemorrhage was significantly reduced by both TRH and CG3703. The results suggest that TRH reverses the hypovolemic hypotension mainly by increasing vascular resistance and causing impairment of BF to vital organs, thereby exacerbating the shock and leading to an increased mortality. cardiac output; total peripheral resistance; regional blood flow THYROTROPIN RELEASING HORMONE (TRH) is a tripeptide found in cell borlies and nerve fibers of mammalian brain and spinal cord (for review see Ref. 20). In addition to its endocrine effects, TRH induces strong cardiorespiratory stimulation that is of central origin (2,5,8,16). Recent sturlies have shown that TRH is able to antagonize the hypotension in various experimental shock models (for review see Ref.3). Systemic injection of TRH following endotoxic or hemorrhagic shock in the rat significantly improved the cardiovascular function (13, 15). TRH also reversed hypotension induced by leukotriene (LT)D4, platelet activating factor, soybean lipoxygenase, or antigen-induced anaphyla:x;is in the conscious guinea pig (7,17,18).The beneficial effect of TRH in experimental shock appears to be due to an action on the central nervous system, since doses of TRH that have no effect after sytemic injection reverse shock (14) and improve survival ( 1) after intracerebroventricular administration. Furthermore, the pressor effect of TRH on LTD 4 -induced hypotension is totally abolished in the pithed rat in which the complete central nervous system is destroyed (9). In intact rats, TRH induces marked rises of plasma Ievels of norepinephrine and epinephrine (4,8), and, at least in endotoxic shock in the rat, the revers...