Corticotropin-releasing hormone reduces pressure pain sensitivity in humans without involvement of beta-endorphin(1-31), but does not reduce heat pain sensitivity

What Was Tested

This randomized controlled trial paper looks at ACTH (Corticotropin) and CRH (Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone).

To evaluate analgesic effects of CRH via release of POMC derivatives, the researchers determined plasma concentrations of beta-END-immunoreactive material (IRM), authentic beta-END (beta-END(1-31)) and beta-LPH IRM, in parallel with heat and pressure pain tolerance thresholds before and 15 and 30 min after treatment with CRH (or placebo), and 5 min after naloxone (or placebo) administration which was administered 40 min after CRH (or placebo) injection.

Why It Was Studied

In the present study the effects of intravenously administered corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) on the release of proopiomelanocortin (POMC) derivatives such as adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), beta-lipotropin (beta-LPH) and beta-endorphin (beta-END) as well as direct effects of CRH on pain sensitivity were examined.

Who Took Part

The study group was 16 volunteers.

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were adults, both men and women.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover and parallel-group study.

Because people in this ACTH (Corticotropin) study were split into groups at random, differences between the groups are less likely to reflect who happened to join each one.

Blinding on both sides kept the volunteers and researchers unaware of who received ACTH (Corticotropin).

A placebo (an inactive look-alike) gave the ACTH (Corticotropin) group a baseline to be compared against.

Each person switched between ACTH (Corticotropin) and the comparison at some point, usually with a gap in between.

What Was Measured

PubMed files the paper under topics including Adrenocorticotropic Hormone, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone, Cross-Sectional Studies, Hot Temperature, Naloxone, Narcotic Antagonists and Pain.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of ACTH (Corticotropin) and CRH (Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone) in 16 volunteers.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The publication is from 2005 (Neuroendocrinology), a journal based in Switzerland.

More context: the ACTH (Corticotropin) compound page and the CRH (Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone) compound page, all human trials.