Abstract
1. The prolactin response following administration of the D2-dopamine receptor antagonist remoxipride was studied in eight healthy male volunteers. The purpose of the study was to investigate the duration of a refractory period of prolactin release following two doses of remoxipride. A further aim was to compare the prolactin response following remoxipride and thyrotropin release hormone (TRH) during the refractory period. The subjects received two 30 min intravenous (i.v.) infusions of remoxipride 50 mg with different time intervals between the two doses, in a randomized six period crossover design. The time intervals between the two remoxipride doses were 2, 8, 12, 24 and 48 h. On one occasion the remoxipride dose was followed by an i.v. injection of TRH after 2 h. 2. The plasma peak prolactin concentrations obtained after the first remoxipride dose correspond to a maximal release of prolactin according to earlier studies. A small second peak of prolactin was observed after 2 h. The release was gradually increased with longer time intervals between the consecutive doses. The refractory period for a second prolactin release similar to the first one after remoxipride was found to be 24 h for most of the subjects. 3. TRH resulted in a faster and higher increase in prolactin response of a shorter duration than after remoxipride administered 2 h after the first dose.