Abstract
We investigated ACTH and Cortisol responses after ovine CRF injection (1 µg/kg one bolus) in a group of 11 drug-free patients suffering from major depression. When compared to sex- and age-matched normal controls, our depressed patients showed: Higher ACTH basal values (p< 0.002); higher Cortisol basal values (p < 0.009); blunted ACTH response to oCRF administration (p < 0.23); higher Cortisol response to oCRF (p < 0.001). Our data show that in depressed patients the feed-back mechanism is functionally intact at the pituitary level on one hand, while on the other, a hyperrespon-siveness of adrenal cortex (even to minimal stimuli) seems to be present. Moreover, a hypersecretion of endogenous CRF in these patients seems to be likely.
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Nerozzi, D., Bersani, G., Melia, E. et al. Corticotropin-releasing factor and adrenal function in major depression. J Endocrinol Invest 11, 697–701 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03350921
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03350921