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Path: utzoo!linus!security!genrad!decvax!duke!phs!sdyer@bbncca.ARPA (Steve Dyer)
From: sdyer@bbncca.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: Hydergine and Vasopressin
Message-ID: <341@bbncca.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 23-Nov-83 01:49:30 EST
Article-I.D.: bbncca.341
Posted: Wed Nov 23 01:49:30 1983
Date-Received: Sun, 27-Nov-83 03:13:10 EST
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Path:duke!decvax!bbncca!sdyer
Message-ID:<341@bbncca.ARPA>
Date:Wed, 23-Nov-83 01:49:30 EST
Organization:Bolt, Beranek and Newman, Cambridge, Ma.

Hydergine has been around for a while, advertised heavily to doctors
serving older people as a drug that does amorphously beneficial things
to elderly people who have amorphously dysfunctional behavior.  Its
status with the FDA is pretty shaky, and it's a wonder that it's been
able to stay on the market for so long.

Vasopressin and its congeners would probably have to be used as a nasal
spray, since they are digested rapidly when taken orally.  I've always
heard that vasopressin facilitates learning in rats, but I don't know how
that might extend to most human learning.  I would also expect that
generally administering this to otherwise normal patients might not be
a good idea, for two reasons.  First, vasopressin is also known as ADH--
anti-diuretic hormone.  This is the substance secreted by the pituitary
which regulates the permeability of the kidney to water.  In fact, the
reason alcohol has a diuretic effect is that it inhibits the secretion
of ADH by the pituitary.  So, gratuitous doses of ADH to normal patients
would at least cause water retention, and maybe other bad effects.
Second, its name, "vasopressin", comes from its other effects on the body.
It raises blood pressure, and can precipitate angina attacks in susceptible
persons.

I would be interested to read controlled studies of either of these
drugs on human behavior and learning, but I suspect that the evidence
is still a bit shaky to recommend them.
--
/Steve Dyer
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