This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Reply to article  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Lauren B. Marangell, MD; Mark S. George, MD; Ann M. Callahan, MD; Terence A. Ketter, MD; Peggy J. Pazzaglia, MD; Todd A. L'Herrou, MA; Gabriele S. Leverich, MSW; Robert M. Post, MD

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1997;54(3):214-222.

Abstract
Background
Therapeutic effects of the tripeptide protirelin (thyrotropin-releasing hormone) have been postulated in the affective disorders, but direct assessment in humans has been hindered by poor blood-brain barrier permeability.

Methods
Eight medication-free inpatients with refractory depression received 500 µg of protirelin via a lumbar intrathecal injection and an identical sham lumbar puncture procedure, separated by 1 week, in a doubleblind crossover design.

Results
Five of eight patients responded to intrathecal protirelin, defined as a 50% or greater reduction in an abbreviated Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score. Suicidality also was reduced significantly (P<.05). Responses were rapid and clinically robust, but shortlived.

Conclusion
Administration of protirelin by an intrathecal route induced a rapid improvement in mood and suicidality in these refractory depressed patients, supporting the hypothesis that thyrotropin-releasing hormone could be a positive modulator of mood.

Author Affiliations
From the Biological Psychiatry Branch, National Institutes of Mental Health, Bethesda, Md (Drs Marangell, George, Callahan, Ketter, Pazzaglia, and Post and Messrs L'Herrou and Leverich); the Department of Psychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex (Dr Marangell); the Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston (Dr George); the Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY (Dr Callahan); the Electronic Village Systems, Centreville, Va (Mr L'Herrou); the Department of Psychiatry, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif (Dr Ketter); and the Department of Psychiatry, University of Mississippi Medical School, Jackson (Dr Pazzaglia).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone Receptor 1-Deficient Mice Display Increased Depression and Anxiety-Like Behavior
Zeng et al.
Mol. Endocrinol. 2007;21:2795-2804.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

A Randomized Trial of an N-methyl-D-aspartate Antagonist in Treatment-Resistant Major Depression.
Zarate et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2006;63:856-864.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Glucocorticoids Decrease Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone Messenger Ribonucleic Acid Expression in the Paraventricular Nucleus of the Human Hypothalamus
Alkemade et al.
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 2005;90:323-327.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone (TRH) Hypothesis of Homeostatic Regulation: Implications for TRH-Based Therapeutics
Gary et al.
J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 2003;305:410-416.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Serum Thyrotropin Concentrations and Bioactivity During Sleep Deprivation in Depression
Orth et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2001;58:77-83.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Biology of pro-Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone-Derived Peptides
Nillni and Sevarino
Endocr. Rev. 1999;20:599-648.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

CSF Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone Gender Difference: Implications for Neurobiology and Treatment of Depression
Frye et al.
J. Neuropsychiatry Clin. Neurosi. 1999;11:349-353.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT