Abstract
Glucocorticoids are thought to inhibit growth hormone (GH) secretion through an enhancement of endogenous somatostatin tone. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of galanin, a neuropeptide that stimulates GH secretion, on GH-releasing hormone (GHRH)-induced GH secretion in adult patients with nonendocrine diseases who were under daily immunosuppressive glucocorticoid therapy. Six normal subjects (four men, two women) and seven steroid-treated subjects (three men, four women) were studied. GHRH-induced GH secretion was evaluated during a 40-minute intravenous (IV) infusion of saline or porcine galanin (12.5 μg/min). During saline infusion, steroid-treated patients showed a blunted GH response to GHRH (GH peak, 8.1 ± 2.8 μg/L), as compared with normal subjects (GH peak, 23.8 ± 3.9 μg/L). During galanin infusion, the GH response to GHRH was significantly enhanced (GH peak, 46.6 ± 9.4 μg/L, P < .05), as compared with saline infusion in normal subjects. In contrast, galanin infusion did not enhance the GH response to GHRH (GH peak, 16.6 ± 6.5 μg/L), as compared with saline infusion in steroid-treated patients. The area under the GH-response curves was also significantly ( P < .05) lower in steroid-treated subjects, as compared with normal subjects. Thus, galanin failed to normalize or enhance the GH response to GHRH in patients treated long-term with glucocorticoids. It can be hypothesized that galanin does not elicit GH secretion by decreasing hypothalamic somatostatin tone.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have