Effect of Exogenous Porcine GH Administration on GH Responses to GH-releasing Peptide-2 and GH-releasing Hormone in Swine

Abstract

Negative feedback on GH responses to GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) and GH-releasing peptides (GHRPs) has been reported and this action has been suggested to act through an increase in somatostatin. To determine whether the acute administration of porcine GH (pGH) inhibits GH responsiveness to GHRP-2 and GHRH in swine, swine were intravenously administered with pGH (5 µg/kg BW) or placebo followed 180 min later by a second intravenous administration of saline, GHRP-2 (30 µg/kg BW), GHRH (1 µg/kg BW) and a combination of GHRP-2 and GHRH. Plasma GH concentration was measured by radioimmunoassay. Administration of pGH caused a significant increase in GH area under curve and GH peak concentrations (p<0.001) over placebo-treated group. Plasma GH concentrations peaked at 15 min and returned to baseline level within 90 min. Pretreatment of pGH abolished (p<0.01) GH response to GHRH and attenuated (p<0.05) GH response to GHRP-2 and GHRH combined, without affecting GH response to GHRP-2. These results demonstrate that negative feedback action on GH releasing effect of GHRH occurs in swine, and that GHRP-2 has ability to interact in this action. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2003. Vol 16, No. 8 : 1188-1192)