Synthetic Vasopressin Nasal Spray in the Treatment of Diabetes Insipidus

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Abstract
THE LONG-TERM treatment of vasopressinsensitive diabetes insipidus remains a complex and challenging problem. Vasopressin is available for therapy as an oil-repository material, vasopressin tannate injection (Pitressin Tannate in oil), in aqueous solution, vasopressin injection (Pitressin), and in powder form administered by nasal insufflation, posterior pituitary powder. These forms have certain drawbacks and more convenient therapeutic materials are desirable. Recently, the use of synthetic lysine vasopressin, lysyl-8-vasopressin, as a nasal spray has been studied.1-3 We wish to report our experience to date with this material in 19 patients with vasopressinsensitive diabetes insipidus. Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) levels and disappearance curves in blood have been studied in three patients4; clinical response to the medication is reported here. Methods Lysyl-8-vasopressin spray was provided in 5 ml (50 IU per milliliter) squeeze bottle containers. Two lines of investigation were followed. In the first, three patients (cases 3, 10, and 11) were studied in