Colao A, Merola B, Cataldi M, La Tessa G, Boudouresque F, Oliver C, Di Renzo G, Annunziato L, Lombardi G
Chair of Endocrinology, II School of Medicine, University of Naples, Italy.
Neuroendocrinology. 1993 Aug;58(2):227-33. doi: 10.1159/000126537.
Plasma ACTH, beta-endorphin and alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone levels were evaluated in the inferior petrosal sinuses and in the periphery of 22 patients affected by Cushing's disease, 11 patients with other pituitary diseases subjected to simultaneous and bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling and in the peripheral blood of 15 normal subjects. In patients with Cushing's disease ACTH, beta-endorphin and alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone levels in the inferior petrosal sinus ipsilateral to the adenoma were significantly higher than in the periphery and in the contralateral inferior petrosal sinus (p < 0.01, p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). In patients with other pituitary diseases only ACTH and beta-endorphin, but not alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone levels in both inferior petrosal sinuses were significantly higher than in the periphery (p < 0.01). Furthermore, no difference was found in the peripheral blood among patients with Cushing's disease, patients with other pituitary diseases and normal subjects for ACTH and beta-endorphin level. By contrast, in patients with Cushing's disease peripheral alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone levels were significantly higher than in patients with other pituitary diseases and in normal subjects (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the results of the present study suggest that only in patients with Cushing's disease, but not in patients with other pituitary diseases, alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone is released by adenomatous pituitary corticotrophs together with ACTH and beta-endorphin.
对22例库欣病患者、11例患有其他垂体疾病且同时进行双侧岩下窦采样的患者以及15名正常受试者外周血的岩下窦和外周血中的血浆促肾上腺皮质激素（ACTH）、β-内啡肽和α-黑素细胞刺激素水平进行了评估。在库欣病患者中，腺瘤同侧岩下窦的ACTH、β-内啡肽和α-黑素细胞刺激素水平显著高于外周血和对侧岩下窦（分别为p < 0.01、p < 0.01和p < 0.05）。在患有其他垂体疾病的患者中，仅双侧岩下窦的ACTH和β-内啡肽水平显著高于外周血（p < 0.01），而α-黑素细胞刺激素水平无显著差异。此外，库欣病患者、其他垂体疾病患者和正常受试者外周血中的ACTH和β-内啡肽水平无差异。相比之下，库欣病患者外周血中的α-黑素细胞刺激素水平显著高于其他垂体疾病患者和正常受试者（p < 0.05）。总之，本研究结果表明，仅库欣病患者，而非其他垂体疾病患者，腺瘤性垂体促肾上腺皮质细胞会与ACTH和β-内啡肽一起释放α-黑素细胞刺激素。
