OBJECTIVES Adrenal insufficiency is often diagnosed by short synacthen test using intravenous Injection Synacthene, which is not marketed in India officially. To overcome this problem this study was planned to validate and use Acton Prolongatum (Ferring pharmaceuticals) as intramuscular ACTH stimulation test for evaluation of adrenal function. METHODS This study was planned in two groups. Fir...

Previous studies have found that bromocriptine, cyproheptadine, and valproic acid can reduce ACTH secretion in Nelson's syndrome, but none of these agents has achieved widespread use due to their failure to normalize ACTH in most patients. The current study was undertaken to determine whether these three agents, which act through different mechanisms, decrease plasma ACTH synergistically when a...

A case is reported which supports the principle that ACTH precursors best characterise so-called ectopic ACTH-syndrome, which should therefore more accurately be referred to as ectopic ACTH-precursor syndrome.

ACTH regulates the steroidogenic capacity, size, and structural integrity of the adrenal cortex through a series of actions involving changes in gene expression; however, only a limited number of ACTH-regulated genes have been identified, and these only partly account for the global effects of ACTH on the adrenal cortex. In this study, a National Institute on Aging 15K mouse cDNA microarray was...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) has shown efficacy as primary and secondary therapy for nephrotic syndrome due to membranous nephropathy. The data on using ACTH to treat idiopathic FSGS are limited. This report describes our experience using ACTH for nephrotic syndrome due to idiopathic FSGS in the United States. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS Twent...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Exaggerated adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol responses to ghrelin in Cushing's disease (CD) have previously been reported, similarly to responses to corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). We assessed the ability of ghrelin to enhance ACTH and cortisol responses when added to CRH stimulation in CD patients. METHODS In 21 CD patients (18 females, 3 males; age 49.8...

Loperamide, an opiate agonist of high specificity for mu-receptors, was recently reported to suppress ACTH and cortisol levels in normal subjects, but not in patients with proven ACTH-dependent Cushing's disease. However, there is little information on the site of action of loperamide in the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis of man. We investigated the effect of loperamide on pituitary hormone...

Patients with temporal lobe epilepsy secrete ACTH at higher rates and in greater amounts than normal subjects. Temporal lobectomy restores ACTH secretion to normal amounts and rates. The ACTH secretion in temporal lobe epilepsy is independent of anticonvulsant drug effect and seizure frequency. Electrical stimulation of medial temporal lobe structures in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy aff...

Ectopic ACTH production occurs in about 10% of all cases of Cushing's syndrome, and about 25% of cases of ACTH-dependent Cushing's syndrome. Diverse tumor types are able to produce ACTH ectopically, including small cell lung carcinoma. Ectopic ACTH secretion by malignant neoplasm has been reported to have earlier and more aggressive metabolic effects. We report a 59-year-old male patient with s...

Two new photoreactive arylsulfenyl chlorides, 2-nitro-4-azidophenylsulfenyl chloride (2,4-NAPS-Cl) and 2-nitro-5-azidophenylsulfenyl chloride (2,5-NAPS-Cl), have been synthesized and used for the selective modification of corticotropin (ACTH). Both reagents reacted rapidly with N-acetyltryptophanamide and ACTH under acidic conditions. The NAPS derivatives of ACTH were purified by partition chro...