Effect of bovine pituitary growth hormone on hepatic cholesterogenesis of hypophysectomized rats.

Abstract

Two groups of hypophysectomized rats were studied. In one group fed a stock diet, hepatic cholesterogenesis, as judged by the conversion of acetate car-bon to cholesterol by slices of their livers, was subnormal. In the second group of hypophysectomized rats, hepatic cholesterogenesis was made to proceed at normal rates by the feeding of a diet containing 60 per cent glucose. Beef pituitary growth hormone restored to normal the extent of acetate incorporation into cholesterol by the livers of hypophysectomized rats fed the stock diet. In those fed the 60 per cent glucose diet, the injection of the growth hormone increased above normal the liver’s capacity for converting acetate carbon to cholesterol. This response to growth hormone is rapid—an increase in hepatic cholesterogenesis was observed as early as 6 hours after a single intravenous injection of the hormone. Single intravenous injections of 100 μg. of the growth hormone as well as repeated daily intraperitoneal administrations of that amount did no...