Dose Response Relationship for Single Doses of Corticotropin Releasing Hormone (CRH) in Normal Volunteers and in Patients With Adrenal Insufficiency

Completed

Conditions studied: Adrenal Gland Hyperfunction, Adrenal Gland Hypofunction, Cushing's Syndrome, Healthy

In brief

Corticotropin Releasing Hormone (CRH) is a hypothalamic hormone made up of 41 amino acids. Amino acids are proteins that when combined make up different substances, like hormones. The order of amino acids in CRH, has been determined, meaning that the hormone can now be synthetically reproduced in a laboratory setting. When CRH is released from the hypothalamus it stimulates the pituitary gland to secrete another hormone, ACTH. ACTH then causes the adrenal glands to make a third hormone, cortisol. This process is known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Problems can occur in any of the steps of this process and result in a variety of diseases (Cushing's Syndrome and adrenal insufficiency). Researchers hope that CRH created in a laboratory setting, ovine CRH (oCRH) can be used to help diagnose and treat conditions of the HPA axis. This study will test the relationship for single doses of oCRH in normal volunteers and patients with disorders of the HPA axis. The oCRH will be injected into the patients vein as a single injection or slowly through an IV line over 24 hours. The participants will have blood tests taken to measure hormone levels before, during, and after receiving the oCRH.

Key facts

Study ID
NCT00001180
Run by
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
People needed
2250
Starts
1982-03-01
Expected to finish
2005-06-01
Last updated by the study team
2008-03-04

Who can join

Age: any. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

Where it is running

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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