Effects of corticotropin-releasing hormone on respiratory parameters during sleep in normal men

What Was Tested

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

Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is well-known to be a centrally acting respiratory stimulant after systemic application both in healthy subjects and in patients suffering from respiratory failure.

In order to study the effects of CRH on sleep EEG and respiratory parameters during sleep, 14 healthy male volunteers were investigated in a single-blind placebo controlled design.

Who Took Part

The study group was 14 volunteers.

The age groups tagged for this paper are adults, men only.

For the assessment of respiration, blood oxygen saturation and thoracic wall movements were measured, as well as nasal and oral airflow using the thermistor method.

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a double-blind, single-blind and placebo-controlled study.

As a double-blind ACTH (Corticotropin) study, the assignments were hidden from both participants and investigators until the end.

Only one side, usually the volunteers, was kept unaware of whether ACTH (Corticotropin) was given.

The comparison arm used a placebo, so changes seen with ACTH (Corticotropin) could be set against what happens without it.

What Was Measured

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Adrenocorticotropic Hormone, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone, Electroencephalography, Electromyography, Hydrocortisone, Oxygen and Respiration.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a double-blind, single-blind and placebo-controlled study of ACTH (Corticotropin) and CRH (Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone) in 14 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 1995 (Experimental and clinical endocrinology & diabetes : official journal, German Society of Endocrinology [and] German Diabetes Association), a journal based in Germany.

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