Effects of Intravenous Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone upon Sleep-Related Growth Hormone Surge and Sleep EEG in Man
Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) plays a key role in coordinating neuroendocrine, metabolic and behavioral responses in stress and affective disorders. To further investigate the effects of enhanced pituitary-adrenocortical activity upon sleep-related phenomena we administered four intravenous injections of 50 micrograms human (h)-CRH or saline to 11 normal males at 10 p.m., 11 p.m., 12 p.m. and 1 a.m. and measured plasma levels of cortisol and growth hormone (GH) as well as sleep EEG recordings throughout the night. Treatment with h-CRH resulted in a significant increase of mean (+/- SEM) cortisol secretion between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. (h-CRH: 100.6 +/- 9.5 ng/ml; saline: 39.0 +/- 1.5 n…
Differential effects of the enantiomers R(-) and S(+) oxaprotiline on major endogenous depression, the sleep EEG and neuroendocrine secretion: studies on depressed patients and normal controls.
The effects of the optically active enantiomers of oxaprotiline (OXP), R(-) OXP and S(+) OXP, on depressive symptomatology and the sleep EEG were investigated in two separate exploratory studies. In addition, the neuroendocrine profile of both compounds was characterized in normal controls. In the patients treated with a daily oral dose of 150 mg S(+) OXP we found a Hamilton depression score that decreased from 29.1 +/- 1.8 (SEM) on day 0 to 14.7 +/- 3.2 on day 28 (P0.01). Six patients were judged to be full responders (HAMD score 0-7 points), three were improved (HAMD score 8-15) and four were nonresponders (HAMD score16). The therapeutic effect achieved with 150 mg R(-) OXP daily was less…
Effects of Clomipramine on Sleep EEG and Nocturnal Penile Tumescence
The effects of the tricyclic antidepressant clomipramine on sleep EEG and nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT) were investigated during a long-term study in a normal male control subject. During 21 consecutive days the subject received first placebo for 3 days, then stepwise increasing dosages of clomipramine for 10 days, and finally placebo after withdrawal for 8 days. Under clomipramine, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep was suppressed markedly; an REM rebound occurred after withdrawal. Awake and stages 1 and 2 increased while slow wave sleep was diminished under clomipramine. Those non-REM parameters returned to baseline values after drug cessation. NPT was reduced simultaneously with REM slee…