| Affiliation: | (1) Service de Biochimie Médicale et Biologie Moléculaire, Faculté de Médecine Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75013 Paris, France;(2) Clinique de la Charité, Service d'Addictologie, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire, 59037 Lille, France |
| Abstract: | Rationale Studies of ethanol's effects on TSH carried out during the daytime, when its secretion is at its nadir, do not reflect the true action of alcohol on TSH secretion since TSH peak occurs at night.Objective The present study investigated the effects of alcohol on the serum concentrations of TSH in healthy volunteers during a 26-h session.Methods The trial included a 26-h session during which alcohol was administered at a rate similar to that found in heavy drinkers, i.e. 256 g per day and a 26-h placebo session. Volunteers functioned as their own controls, and we controlled for masking effects in both sessions.Results The usual TSH circadian rhythm flattened during the alcohol session, and the usual peak in the middle of the night completely disappeared.Conclusion Alcohol dramatically decreased nocturnal TSH secretion in healthy volunteers. |
