Corticotropin-releasing hormone inhibits melatonin secretion in healthy volunteers--a potential link to low-melatonin syndrome in depression?
Abstract
Interactions between the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) system and melatonin secretion have been demonstrated, but only the effects of melatonin on the activity of the HPA system have been studied in man. Alterations of melatonin secretion described as low-melatonin syndrome have been demonstrated in patients suffering from a major depressive episode, and an inhibitory factor on melatonin secretion has been postulated. We investigated whether corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), which is thought to be involved in HPA abnormalities in depressed patients, can also suppress melatonin secretion in healthy volunteers. Ten healthy male human volunteers in a double-blind study design received randomized hourly intravenous injections from 08.00 to 18.00 h that contained 10 micrograms human CRH, 1 microgram adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), or placebo to simulate pulsatile hormone secretion. Plasma melatonin and cortisol responses during the treatment and nocturnal sleep electroencephalograms after the treatment were recorded. Administration of CRH reduced melatonin secretion significantly below values obtained after administration of placebo and ACTH. Cortisol secretion was significantly enhanced by ACTH in comparison to both placebo and CRH. Electroencephalographic sleep parameters revealed no treatment effects. Our findings suggest that CRH has an inhibitory effect on the pineal secretion of melatonin in normal man. A mechanism via a release of cortisol was not…
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