Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-dnltx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-18T22:04:19.660Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) as a possible quick-acting but short-lasting antidepressant

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

W. Van Den Burg
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychiatry, the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, and Isotope Laboratory, University Hospital, Groningen, The Netherlands
H. M. Van Praag
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychiatry, the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, and Isotope Laboratory, University Hospital, Groningen, The Netherlands
E. R. H. Bos
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychiatry, the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, and Isotope Laboratory, University Hospital, Groningen, The Netherlands
D. A. Piers
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychiatry, the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, and Isotope Laboratory, University Hospital, Groningen, The Netherlands
A. K. Van Zanten
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychiatry, the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, and Isotope Laboratory, University Hospital, Groningen, The Netherlands
H. Doorenbos
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychiatry, the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, and Isotope Laboratory, University Hospital, Groningen, The Netherlands

Synopsis

In a double reversal design the potency of thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) (500 μg intravenously) as a quick-acting antidepressive agent was evaluated. A first injection did seem to give rise to a very slight short-lasting effect, though this could not be ascertained clearly. There were no visible effects after a second injection. The thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) response curve after TRH administration in the depressive patients group was blunted in comparison with that in a matched control group of normals.

Type
Original Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1975

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aitken, R. C. B. (1969). Measurement of feelings using visual analogue scales. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine, 62, 989993.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brandt, A. E. (1938). Tests of significance in reversal or switchback trials. In Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station Research Bulletin 234. State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts: Ames, Iowa.Google Scholar
Ciminera, J. L., and Wolfe, E. K. (1953). An example of the use of extended cross-over designs in the comparison of NPH insulin mixtures. Biometrics, 9, 431446.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cochran, W. G., and Cox, G. M. (1957). Experimental Designs, 2nd edn.Wiley: New York.Google Scholar
Dimitrikoudi, M., Hanson-Norty, E., and Jenner, F. A. (1974). T.R.H. in psychoses. Lancet, 1, 456.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Drayson, A. M. (1974). T.R.H. in cyclical psychoses. Lancet, 1, 312.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Federer, W. T. (1955). Experimental Design. Theory and Application. MacMillan: New York.Google Scholar
Hamilton, M. (1967). Development of a rating scale for primary depressive illness. British Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 6, 278296.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Howorth, P. J. N., and MacLagan, N. F. (1969). Clinical application of serum-total-thyroxine estimation, resin uptake, and free-thyroxine index. Lancet, 1, 224228.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kastin, A. J., Ehrensing, R. H., Schalch, D. S., and Anderson, M. S. (1972). Improvement in mental depression with decreased thyrotropin response after administration of thyrotropin-releasing hormone. Lancet, 2, 740742.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kersen, F. van, Sluiter, W. J., Wijnandts, P. N., and Vaalburg, W. (1972). The advantages of a specific thyroxine assay in combination with a triiodothyronine resin uptake test: the free thyroxine index. Folia Medica Neerlandica, 15, 177183.Google ScholarPubMed
Plotnikoff, N. P., Prange, A. J. Jr, Breese, G. R., Anderson, M. S., and Wilson, I. C. (1972). Thyrotropin releasing hormone: enhancement of dopa activity by a hypothalamic hormone. Science, 178, 417418.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Prange, A. J. Jr (1963). Paroxysmal auricular tachycardia apparently resulting from combined thyroid-imipramine treatment. American Journal of Psychiatry, 119, 994995.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Prange, A. J. Jr, and Lipton, M. A. (1962). Enhancement of imipramine mortality in hyperthyroid mice. Nature, 196, 588589.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Prange, A. J. Jr, Wilson, I. C., Rabon, A. M., and Lipton, M. A. (1969). Enhancement of imipramine antidepressant activity by thyroid hormone. American Journal of Psychiatry, 126, 457469.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Prange, A. J. Jr, Wilson, I. C., Knox, A., McClane, T. K., and Lipton, M. A. (1970). Enhancement of imipramine by thyroid stimulating hormone: clinical and theoretical implications. American Journal of Psychiatry, 127, 191199.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Prange, A. J. Jr, Wilson, I. C., Lara, P. P., Alltop, L. B., and Breese, G. R. (1972). Effects of thyrotropin-releasing hormone in depression. Lancet, 2, 9991002.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Prange, A. J. Jr, Wilson, I. C., Lara, P. P., Wilber, J. F., Breese, G. B., Alltop, L. B., and Lipton, M. A. (1973). TRH (Lopremone): psychobiological responses of normal women. 2. Pituitary-thyroid responses. Archives of General Psychiatry, 29, 2832.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sluiter, W. J., Kersen, F. van, Zanten, A. K. van, Beekhuis, H., and Doorenbos, H. (1972). A radioimmunoassay of human TSH, employing a solid phase second antibody, and a purified globulin preparation for standardization of nonspecific protein interactions. Clinica Chimica Acta, 41, 255262.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Snyder, P. J., and Utiger, R. D. (1972). Response to thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) in normal man. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 34, 380385.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Snyder, P. J., and Utiger, R. D. (1973). Repetitive administration of thyrotropin-releasing hormone results in small elevations of serum thyroid hormones and in marked inhibition of thyrotropin response. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 52, 23052312.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sørensen, R., Svendsen, K., and Schou, M. (1974). T.R.H. in depression. Lancet, 1, 865866.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Takahashi, S., Kondo, H., Yoshimura, M., and Ochi, Y. (1973). Antidepressant effect of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and the plasma thyrotropin levels in depression. Folia Psychiatrica et Neurologica Japonica, 27, 305314.Google ScholarPubMed
Tatsuoka, M. M. (1971). Multivariate Analysis. Wiley: New York.Google Scholar
Vis-Melsen, M. J. E. van der, and Wiener, J. D. (1972). Improvement in mental depression with decreased thyrotropin response after administration of thyrotropin-releasing hormone. Lancet, 2, 1415.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wilson, I. C., Prange, A. J. Jr, Lara, P. P., Alltop, L. B., Stikeleather, R. A., and Lipton, M. A. (1973). TRH (Lopremone): psychobiological responses of normal women. 1. Subjective experiences. Archives of General Psychiatry, 29, 1521.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zealley, A. K., and Aitken, R. C. B. (1969). Measurement of mood. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine, 62, 993996.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zung, W. W. K. (1965). A self-rating depression scale. Archives of General Psychiatry, 12, 6370.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed