PDF herunterladen
Horm Metab Res 1993; 25(2): 114-116
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-1002055
Clinical

© Georg Thieme Verlag, Stuttgart · New York

Effects of a Calcium Antagonist on the Pituitary-Adrenal Axis

S. Rocco, F. Mantero, M. Boscaro
  • Institutes of Semeiotica Medica University of Padua, Padua, and Clinica Medica I, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
Weitere Informationen

Publikationsverlauf

1991

1992

Publikationsdatum:
14. März 2008 (online)

Auch verfügbar auf
  als PDF herunterladen  Lizenzen und Reprints

Summary

It has been proposed that calcium is involved, as second messenger, in the regulation of various pituitary hormones including ACTH. Several evidences indicate that calcium-entry blockers agents (i.e. nifedipine) inhibit oCRH-dependent ACTH stimulation “in vivo”. To further investigate these aspects we tested the effects of a calcium antagonist nitrendipine on basal and oCRH-stimulated ACTH secretion, in 6 hypertensive patients, with normal hypothalamus pituitary adrenal axis. Nitrendipine 20 mg per os once daily for 30 days, was efficacious in lowering blood pressure but did not modify ACTH and cortisol response to oCRH (200 ug i.v.), in spite of a minor inhibitory effect on the concomitant aldosterone response. These data indicate that ACTH secretion is not significantly modified by calcium antagonists, which can exert a detectable effect on adrenal zona glomerulosa.

Key words

ACTH - Aldosterone - Calcium-Channel Blocker - Cortisol - oCRH

      >