Influence of pimozide on a TRH induced TSH secretion in the rat during food deprivation.

Adult Wistar rats food deprived for 3 days had lower basal levels of TSH compared to normal fed animals. An increase of these lower levels to normal values was obtained following a prolonged (injections during 3 consecutive days) or acute treatment (single injection) with pimozide (1 mg/injection). Blood samples obtained after the last or an only injection of pimozide contained profound increased prolactin levels. Prolactin increase was more than 100-fold in fed and more than 30-fold in starved rats following prolonged pimozide treatment and more than 25-fold and 10-fold following a single injection of pimozide. An injection of 250 ng of TRH increased plasma concentrations of TSH in all groups, but this increase was more pronounced in fasted rats injected with pimozide during 3 consecutive days. It is concluded that fasting results in a dopaminergic inhibition of the sensitivity of the thyrotrophs to a TRH challenge.