Effect of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) on the CSF levels of monoamine metabolites and neuropeptides in patients with Alzheimers disease

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) is known to have several central pharmacological effects such as an increment of spontaneous activity and alertness and an activation of EEG, which seem to be favorable for the treatment of Alzheimers disease (AD). Firstly, we studied the changes in CSF levels of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Japanese Journal of Pharmacology 1988, Vol.46 (suppl), p.59-59
Main Authors: Akemi Minegishi, Takashi Ishizaki, Eriko Koyama, Anri Aoba, Hirotaka Takagi, Kazuo Hasegawa
Format: Article
Language:Japanese
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Summary:Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) is known to have several central pharmacological effects such as an increment of spontaneous activity and alertness and an activation of EEG, which seem to be favorable for the treatment of Alzheimers disease (AD). Firstly, we studied the changes in CSF levels of monoamine metabolites and neuropeptides in patients with AD as compared with those in the age-matched control subjects. Secondly, we investigated the effect of TRH treatment (TRH-T 2 mg i.v. per day for 10 days) on those CSF markers in patients with AD. The CSF levels of dopamine metabolites were significantly lowered in patients with AD. The CSF concentration of serotonin metabolite, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), and somatostatin also tended to decrease in patients with AD. The CSF level of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) was significantly correlated with the level of somatostatin. TRH treatment substantially increased the CSF levels of dopamine and serotonin metabolites in patients with AD. The results suggest that the dysfunction of brain dopaminergic and serotonergic systems in patients with AD could be reversed by TRH treatment.
ISSN:0021-5198