Oral administration of TRH in puerperal women: effect on insufficient lactation, thyroid hormones and on the responses of TSH and prolactin to intravenous TRH

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Abstract
Puerperal women (13) with insufficient lactation were treated with thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH, thyroliberin) 20 mg twice daily for 2 wk. I.v. TRH stimulation tests were done before the TRH therapy and within 3-5 h after the last dose of oral TRH. Plasma samples were assayed for prolactin (Prl), thyrotropin (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) by radioimmunoassays, and the lactational response was objectively monitored in 11 women. Oral TRH treatment was associated with significantly (P < 0.05) depressed Prl levels (23.0 .+-. 7.9 .mu.g/l vs. 61.4 .+-. 26.2), mean .+-. SEM [standard error of the mean], no change in TSH levels (3.7 .+-. 0.4 IU/l vs. 4.0 .+-. 0.4), but significantly (P < 0.01) elevated T3 (2.17 .+-. 1.14 nmol vs. 1.83 .+-. 0.09) and T4 (131.6 .+-. 7.9 nmol/l vs. 96.6 .+-. 5.8) levels. Oral TRH entirely blocked the TSH response and significantly (P < 0.01) blunted the Prl response to i.v. TRH stimulation. No improvement in lactation was observed.

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