Effect of TRH on plasma arginine vasopressin.

Effect of thyrotropic releasing hormone (TRH) on plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP) was studied in human subjects. All 7 normal controls and 2 hypothyrotropic hypothyroid subjects failed to show any rise of AVP on TRH administration. The 4 primary hypothyroid subjects had elevated basal AVP level and showed further elevation on TRH administration. Our data suggests that elevated TRH in primary hypothyroid subjects may act directly as a nonosmotic stimulus or modulate the osmoreceptor and hypothalamic neurohypophyseal system for AVP release.