The present results suggest that cervical sympathectomy in the rat increases ACTH secretion and decreases TSH secretion in the pituitary. These effects seem to be due to a mildly increased secretion of melatonin in the pineal body that probably in turn increases corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) secretion and decreases thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) secretion in the hypothalamus. Extrapolation of these findings to humans suggests that long-term and repeated stellate ganglion block would affect the pituitary secretions of ACTH and TSH. (adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)
J Anesth (1996) 10:181-184
Cervical sympathectomy affects adrenocorticotropic hormone
and thyroid-stimulating hormone in rats
Hiroshi Iwama, Mamoru Adachi, Choichiro Tase, and Yoichi Akama
Department of Anesthesiology, Fukushima Medical College, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima 960-12, Japan