Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Vol 58, 570-573, Copyright © 1984 by Endocrine Society

ARTICLES

Analysis of the specificity of physostigmine stimulation of adrenocorticotropin in man

DA Lewis, BM Sherman and RG kathol

Five normal men were given infusions of saline and three doses (6, 12, and 18 micrograms/kg) of physostigmine, a centrally acting anticholinesterase, after pretreatment with glycopyrrolate, a peripheral cholinergic antagonist. There was no increase in basal ACTH or cortisol concentrations in any of the subjects after saline or the two smaller doses of physostigmine. However, each subject had a marked increase in ACTH and cortisol levels after the largest dose of physostigmine. These changes were preceded in each subject by the occurrence of noxious side effects and were accompanied by a rise in PRL levels in four of the subjects. Four subjects who received physostigmine (12 micrograms/kg) without glycopyrrolate pretreatment also experienced noxious side effects; these symptoms were followed by elevations in ACTH, cortisol, and PRL levels. These findings suggest that physostigmine stimulates ACTH and cortisol secretion through a stress-mediated effect rather than through a specific cholinergic mechanism. Consequently, physostigmine is not a reliable tool for investigating the cholinergic regulation of ACTH and cortisol.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G.C. Preston, C. Brazell, C. Ward, P. Broks, M. Traub, and S.M. Stahl The scopolamine model of dementia: determination of central cholinomimetic effects of physostigmine on cognition and biochemical markers in man J Psychopharmacol, January 1, 1988; 2(2): 67 - 79. [Abstract] [PDF]