Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in stress and disease: a review of literature and treatment perspectives with special emphasis on psychiatric disorders.

The CRF family of neuropeptides and receptors is involved in a variety of stress responses, in the regulation of appetite, metabolic and inflammatory processes as well as intestinal movements. From a primarily psychiatric perspective, the present paper reviews the literature on its anatomy, physiology and its involvement in psychiatric, neurological and inflammatory diseases. Finally, recent developments in the pharmacological aspects of CRF in these diseases are reviewed.

Treatment of Raynaud's phenomenon with the 5-HT2-receptor antagonist ketanserin.

The selective 5-hydroxytryptamine2-(5-HT2)-receptor-blocking agent ketanserin was given in a dose of 10 mg intravenously to nine patients with Raynaud's phenomenon. The effect on blood flow was assessed by photopletysmography and measurments of skin temperature. Digital blood flow and skin temperature increased significantly after ketanserin injection, whereas the placebo (saline 9 g/l) had no such effect.

Vectorcardiography in the diagnosis of postoperative myocardial infarction.

Fifty-three consecutive patients, mean age 63 years, undergoing either peripheral vascular reconstructive surgery (n = 40) or lobectomy for bronchial carcinoma (n = 13) were examined pre- and postoperatively with conventional electrocardiogram (ECG), vectorcardiogram (VCG) and estimation of serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, total lactic dehydrogenase and the heat-stable fraction of lactic dehydrogenase for the diagnosis of per/postoperative myocardial infarction (MI). Six patients (11%) developed signs of acute MI. In 2 patients whose ECG showed only unspecific changes, the VCG was decisive for the diagnosis.

Urinary metabolites of chloroprocaine studied by combined gas chromatography--mass spectrometry.

The purpose of this study was to identify the metabolic pathway of 2-chloro-4-aminobenzoic acid (CABA), a primary metabolite of chloroprocaine. Urine was collected from 4 healthy, pregnant women following the epidural administration of 600 mg chloroprocaine. The urinary metabolites were extracted with ether and identified and quantitatively estimated with a gas chromatography--mass spectrometry instrument.