Pituitary Growth Hormone Content Research Articles

Growth hormone synthesis decreased after anterolateral deafferentation of the medial basal hypothalamus in the rat.

To study the role of the hypothalamus in the regulation of growth hormone (GH) synthesis, the rate of amino acid incorporation into GH in vitro was examined in rats with anterolateral deafferentation of the medial basal hypothalamus. Amino acid incorporation into GH (GH synthesis) decreased significantly 7 days after the deafferentation, although prolactin synthesis did not show any significant fluctuations. The serum GH was increased, while the pituitary GH content was decreased. Somatostatin in the stalk median eminence of such deafferentated animals decreased markedly, while GH-releasing hormone was decreased slightly but not significantly. Immunohistochemical examinations revealed that the number of somatostatin nerve terminals in the median eminence decreased markedly, while GH-releasing hormone nerve terminals in the same area remained intact. These findings suggest that neural factor(s) outside the medial basal hypothalamus plays an important role in the regulation of GH synthesis.

Plasma growth hormone levels in normal and stunted yearling coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch

AbstractA homologous radioimmunoassay was employed to assess plasma and pituitary growth hormone (GH) levels in coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) smolts and stunts. Although stunts have significantly reduced body weights and lengths, their plasma GH levels were 5‐fold higher than those of either freshwater or seawater smolts. Pituitary GH content was also greater in the stunts than in either group of smolts. The presence of elevated GH levels in a group of animals with reduced growth rates suggests deficiencies in recptor and/or mediating systems as the cause of stunting.

Somatostatin-like immunoreactivity in duck plasma, hypothalamus and neural lobe during post-hatch growth: comparison with plasma and pituitary growth hormone concentrations.

Variations in the concentrations of plasma and pituitary GH were determined in ducks for 66 and 87 days after hatch, and compared with somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (SLI) in the plasma, hypothalamus and neural lobe. Plasma GH levels gradually decreased during growth, while pituitary GH content increased. The concentration of pituitary GH increased during the first 3 weeks of age and remained relatively constant thereafter. The decline in plasma GH concentration was paralleled by a similar fall in the level of plasma SLI. While the content of hypothalamic SLI increased during development, the SLI concentration was maximal at 14 days of age and lowest in adults. The content and concentration of SLI in the neural lobe, in contrast, increased progressively during development. Gel filtration of hypothalamic and neural lobe extracts demonstrated that both young and older birds had two main peaks of SLI, corresponding to somatostatin-14 and somatostatin-28, and a third, larger form. The elution pattern of plasma SLI was similar in young and older birds and was principally composed of a large molecular species ('big' somatostatin), although an additional small peak eluting between somatostatin-28 and somatostatin-14 was eluted from a large pool of plasma from 90-day-old ducks. These results suggest that increased plasma GH levels in young birds do not result from a hypothalamic somatostatin deficiency nor from variations in molecular forms of SLI, and that the age-related decline in plasma GH concentration is not due to a deficiency in pituitary GH content. The decline in the circulating GH level during growth is probably due to an increase in hypothalamic somatostatin release.

Preparation and culture of dispersed avian pituitary cells, and age-related changes in donor pituitary weight and growth hormone content

Techniques were perfected for the enzymatic dissociation of chicken pituitary glands and a number of factors evaluated for their effects upon growth hormone (GH) production by dispersed chicken pituitary cells in culture. Age-related changes in donor pituitary weight and GH content were also determined. A procedure involving digestion of minced glands with a solution of 0.1% trypsin in S-MEM tissue culture medium (0.1% BSA) for 1 hr at 37° under an atmosphere of 5% CO 2-95% air yielded >2.0 × 10 6 cells per gland with 80–90% viability. Five tissue culture media (D-MEM, α-MEM, RPMI 1640, Med-199, Earle's salts), two serum sources (calf serum (CS), horse serum (HS), and two levels of serum (5, 20%) were tested for their ability to support GH synthesis over 4 days in culture. Additionally, two culture regimes (continuous culture vs daily media changes) were evaluated for their effects on GH production. α-MEM resulted in the numerically highest net GH synthesis (over starting cell content), although not statistically different from RPMI 1640 or Earle's salts. Neither serum type nor percentage was significant; therefore the lower serum percentage (5) was adopted for future studies. Culture regime significantly altered the proportion of secreted vs stored hormone harvested at the end of the culture period. Changing media daily resulted in a 40% reduction in final cell GH content compared to continuous culture, whereas total cumulative media GH was approximately 39% greater ( P < 0.01). Pituitary weight increased with age until approximately 9 weeks, whereas GH content plateaued carlier, at 5 weeks of age. Thus, maximum pituitary GH concentration occurred at 5 weeks of age (28 μg/mg pituitary wet wt) in birds studied here. These results may have implications for future studies of avian GH synthesis and release utilizing dispersed avian pituitary cells in culture, as well as considerations for in vivo work.

In vivo studies with growth hormone (GH)-releasing factor and clonidine in rat pups: ontogenetic development of their effect on GH release and synthesis.

The demonstration that GH-releasing factor (GRF) stimulates GH synthesis and release in rat pups prompted studies to evaluate the effects on the same indices of clonidine (CLO), an alpha 2-adrenoceptor and potent GH secretagogue, purported to act in adult rats via GRF release. Our first aim was to ascertain whether CLO elicits GH release in rat pups via GRF, and if this is the case, to evaluate the ontogenetic development in 1- to 10-day-old pups of the GH response to acute CLO or GRF administration and, finally, the effects of short term CLO or GRF treatment on plasma and pituitary GH concentrations and on the GH response to an acute challenge with the homologous secretagogue. CLO (15 micrograms/100 g BW, sc) induced a clearcut GH rise in 10-day-old rats but not in pups pretreated with a specific anti-GRF serum. Moreover, unlike GRF (10(-8) M), CLO (10(-6) to 10(-5) M) did not stimulate GH release in vitro from anterior pituitaries of 10-day-old rats. In 1-day-old rats, neither CLO (15 micrograms/100 g BW, sc) nor GRF (20 ng/100 g BW, sc) stimulated GH release, whereas significant GH stimulation was elicited by GRF, but not CLO, in 5-day-old rats and by both secretagogues in 10-day-old rats. Short term treatment with CLO (15 micrograms/100 g BW, sc, twice daily) or GRF (20 ng/100 g BW, sc, twice daily) on postnatal days 1 through 5 did not modify either plasma or pituitary GH concentrations 14 h after the last drug administration, but did so when either secretagogue was administered on postnatal days 5 through 9. Finally, an acute challenge with GRF, but not with CLO, induced a further rise in the already elevated plasma GH levels of pups pretreated from postnatal day 5 through 9, but neither secretagogue did so in pups pretreated from postnatal days 1 to 5. Viewed together, these data indicate that in infant rats CLO releases GH via GRF release and that the somatotropes respond earlier to GRF (5 days) than the GRF-secreting structures do to alpha 2-adrenergic stimulation (10 days). Both GRF and CLO stimulate GH synthesis when administered repeatedly. However, whereas repeated GRF treatment has a priming effect on the somatotropes, CLO does not, probably because of down-regulation of hypothalamic alpha 2-adrenoceptors.

Decreased hypothalamic growth hormone-releasing hormone content and pituitary responsiveness in hypothyroidism.

The effects of thyroidectomy (Tx) and thyroxine replacement (T4Rx) on pituitary growth hormone (GH) secretion and hypothalamic GH-releasing hormone (GRH) concentration were compared to define the mechanism of hypothyroid-associated GH deficiency. Thyroidectomized rats exhibited a complete loss of pulsatile GH secretion with extensive reduction in GRH responsiveness and pituitary GH content. Cultured pituitary cells from Tx rats exhibited reduced GRH sensitivity, maximal GH responsiveness, and intracellular cyclic AMP accumulation to GRH, while somatostatin (SRIF) suppressive effects on GH secretion were increased. Hypothalamic GRH content was also markedly reduced. T4Rx completely restored hypothalamic GRH content and spontaneous GH secretion despite only partial recovery of pituitary GH content, GRH and SRIF sensitivity, and intracellular cyclic AMP response to GRH. The results indicate multiple effects of hypothyroidism on GH secretion and suggest that a critical role of T4 in maintaining normal GH secretion, in addition to restoring GH synthesis, is related to its effect on hypothalamic GRH.

The Brattleboro rat: normal growth hormone secretion, decreased hepatic growth hormone receptors and low plasma somatomedin activity

Three-month-old male Brattleboro rats with hereditary diabetes insipidus (DI) present a growth defect; Brattleboro rats were studied together with age-matched Long-Evans (LE) rats. Pituitary growth hormone (GH) content was comparable in both groups of rats. Pulsatile GH release and mean 6 h GH plasma levels did not appear significantly different in chronically catheterized DI and control animals. In parallel with the growth defect, the plasma somatomedin bioactivity was significantly lower in DI than in LE rats. The specific binding of [ 125I]iodo-hGH to liver microsomal membranes of DI rats was 59.7% that of controls. The number of the GH binding sites rather than the affinity of the binding was decreased. The specific binding of [ 125I]iodo-insulin was oppositely affected by the DI state: it was 1.5 times higher in liver membranes of DI rats than in membranes of LE rats. These findings make a non-specific effect of the DI state on liver membrane proteins unlikely. The Brattleboro rats present a growth failure without reduction of their GH secretion. The decreased number of the hepatic GH receptors and the subsequent low plasma somatomedin activity could explain the growth retardation of the DI rats.

Plasma and pituitary content of growth hormone luteinizing hormone, and prolactin in uremic rats. Effects of chronic infusion of insulin.

The influence of chronic renal failure on pituitary content and on serum concentrations of growth hormone (GH), prolactin (PRL), and luteinizing hormone (LH) was studied in chronically uremic rats by comparison with control rats fed ad libitum and diet-restricted rats pair-fed with uremic rats. A decrease of pituitary GH content was found in uremic and diet-restricted rats, in association with a normal circulating GH level. A decrease of pituitary PRL and LH content with respectively high and normal serum values was observed in uremic but not in diet-restricted rats. These data strongly suggest that GH disturbances are related to malnutrition, whereas PRL and LH abnormalities are related to the uremic state per se. As hypoinsulinemia was observed in uremic rats, and as insulin is largely implicated in growth, we have investigated the effects of chronic infusion of insulin, using miniosmotic pumps, on pituitary hormone content. In spite of normalization of circulating insulin levels in uremic rats treated with insulin, pituitary GH, LH, and PRL contents were unaffected. Thus, insulin deficiency did not appear to be responsible for the diminished pituitary reserve of these hormones.

Down-regulation of growth hormone releasing factor receptors following continuous infusion of growth hormone releasing factor in vivo.

The in vivo chronic infusion of growth hormone releasing factor (GRF) results in a loss of the pituitary growth hormone (GH) response to GRF as well as in a substantial depletion of pituitary GH content. To evaluate if the loss in response is due to the down-regulation of GRF receptors the specific GRF binding capacity of pituitary homogenates prepared from rats infused with saline or GRF (1 or 15 micrograms/h for 24 h) was determined. The pituitary binding capacity of animals infused with GRF was significantly reduced as compared to animals infused with saline.

Effect of hypthalamic ventromedial lesions on plasma growth hormone response to growth hormone-releasing factor in rats

The effect of ventromedial-arcuate (VMH-ARC) nuclei lesions on plasma growth hormone (GH) response to human growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF, 1 μg/kg b.wt., i.v.) was studied in conscious rats after they had received chlorpromazine (CPZ) or CPZ plus antiserum against somatostatin (ASS). When rats were pretreated with CPZ alone, there was no difference in basal plasma GH level between VMH-ARC lesioned rats and controls. The magnitude of plasma GH response to GRF in 5 out of 6 VMH-ARC lesioned rats exceeded that of controls. When the same observation was repeated using the same rats after they had received ASS and CPZ, basal plasma GH levels of controls were significantly higher than those of VMH-ARC lesioned rats, and the magnitude of the plasma GH response to GRF was augmented in both groups of rats. The plasma GH response to GRF was comparable between two groups, though the peak plasma GH response to GRF was slightly but significantly lower in VMH-ARC lesioned rats as compared to controls. Pituitary GH content was reduced significantly in VMH-ARC lesioned rats as compared to controls. The results demonstrate that the pituitary responsiveness to GRF does not appear to be altered significantly in rats bearing bilateral VMH-ARC lesions. In addition, the placement of electrolytic lesions in VMH-ARC regions causes reduced SS secretion into the hypophyseal portal vessels and leads to an augmentation of plasma GH response to GRF.

Effect of growth hormone-releasing stimuli in streptozotocin diabetic rats

The dynamics of growth hormone (GH) secretion in response to different GH secretagogues has been studied in adult freely moving male rats one month after induction of diabetes by single i.v. injection of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg). Baseline plasma GH concentrations and pituitary GH content were not different in streptozotocin-diabetic (St-D) rats and controls. Clonidine (0.15 mg/kg i.v.), an α 2-adrenergic agonist, failed to evoke GGH release in St-D rats. Substitution therapy with insulin (1 IU/100 g b.wt.daily) delivered through subcutaneously implanted minipumps, allowed re-institution of a normal GH responsiveness to clonidine. At odds with clonidine, FK 33–824 (0.1 mg/kg i.v.), a potent analog of the opioid peptide Met-enkephalin, induced a similar rise in plasma GH levels in control and St-D rats. Finally, administration of a synthetic replicate of a GH-releasing hormone of human pancreatic origin, hpGRF-40 (2.5 μg/kg i.v.) elicited a higher GH response in St-D rats than in controls. These data indicate that in St-D rats: (1) an impaired function of noradrenergic pathways controlling GH release is present; (2) contrary to previous beliefs, an α 2-adrenergic mechanism is not involved in the GH-releasing effect of opioid peptides; and (3) pituitary GH responsiveness to hpGRF is increased.

145 GROWTH HORMONE RECEPTORS AND THE ONSET OF HYPERINSULINEMIA IN THE OBESE ZUCKER RAT

Growth hormone (GH) release, hepatic GH and insulin receptors have been studied in the genetically obese male Zucker (fa/fa) rat. In chronically cannulated 14 week-old rats, the pulsatile GH secretion is suppressed in obese rats and the GH pituitary content is 2 times lower in fa/fa than in lean animals. At 2, 3 and 5 weeks of age, no difference in the pituitary GH content is found in the two groups. At 23 days of age, fa/fa rats have a two-fold increase in their plasma insulin level ; the specific binding of 125I-hGH to liver membranes of obese male rats as compared to lean littermates is increased, 2.8 times in plasma membranes, 1.4 times in Golgi fractions. At 5, 11 and 14 weeks of age, plasma insulin is markedly elevated in obese rats and the level of GH receptors is higher in all liver subfractions of obese rats as compared to lean rats. After the 11th week, hyperinsulinemia is associated with a decrease binding of insulin to plasma membranes and to microsomal fractions of obese rats. Before the increase in plasma insulin appears, at 16 days of age, no difference in the level of GH receptors exists in plasma membranes and Golgi fractions of fa/fa rats and of their lean littermates. The increase in GH binding observed in obese male rats is simultaneous with the onset of hyperinsulinemia.

Pituitary growth hormone and hypothalamic somatostatin in young female rats versus old constant estrous female rats.

Pituitary content and concentration of growth hormone was significantly reduced, and hypothalamic somatostatin content significantly increased, in old constant estrous as compared to young female rats. Increased levels of somatostatin may contribute to the decrease in pituitary growth hormone levels in these animals.

Effect of streptozotocin diabetes and insulin replacement on growth hormone in rats.

The effects of insulin deprivation on the growth rate, plasma and pituitary growth hormone (GH) and GH synthesis were investigated in male Wistar rats. Diabetes was induced by administration of streptozotocin (STZ), 7 mg/100 g bw, and plasma and pituitary GH levels were measured by means of a specific radioimmunoassay. GH synthesis was determined in pituitaries by the in vitro incorporation of [3H] leucine into specific immunoprecipitates. The body weight and the pituitary GH content of normally developing rats showed an almost linear increase throughout the observation period, whereas diabetic rats stopped growing immediately after receiving STZ, and remained smaller than age-paired controls. Pituitary GH content remained within the control range through the 5 days following STZ administration and thereafter decreased reaching 10% of control values by the 30th day. Furthermore, pituitaries from diabetic rats incorporated [3H] leucine into r-GH at a greatly reduced rate, which could explain the diminished r-GH storage in pituitaries of diabetic rats. Plasma GH concentrations remained within the normal range for 10 days after STZ, thereafter plasma GH were markedly reduced. Insulin treatment prevented the metabolic changes, and restored normal levels of plasma and pituitary GH in diabetic rats. These findings indicate that diabetes, in rat, is characterized by an inhibitory effect on GH secretion, probably via a diminished GH synthesis by the pituitary gland.

Growth hormone releasing effect of hpGRF-40 in rats at different time intervals following ablation of the mediobasal hypothalamus

We have investigated the effect of hypothalamo-pituitary disconnection in the rat on the growth hormone (GH) responsiveness to human pancreatic GH-releasing factor (hpGRF). Adult female rats, sham-operated (sham-op) or bearing a complete mechanical ablation of the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH-A) were challenged, while under urethane anesthesia, with hpGRF-40 (20,100,500 ng/rat i.v.) at different time intervals after surgery. In sham-op rats only 500 ng/rat of hpGRF-40 stimulated GH release, while in 1-and 7-day MBH-A rats the stimulation also occurred with the lower hpGRF doses and the rise in plasma GH was greater than in sham-op controls. Twenty-one and 42 days after the placing of the lesions the GH response to hpGRF-40 was still present at the 500 ng/rat dose, though it was smaller than in sham-op controls. Evaluation of pituitary GH content demonstrated a progressive and rapid decline starting the first day after the placing of the lesions. These data indicate that GH responsiveness to hpGRF is: 1) enhanced in the anterior pituitary shortly after hypothalamo-pituitary disconnection and, 2) despite a striking reduction of the pituitary GH stores, it is maintained after these lesions. The physiologic growth hormone (GH) releaser in the rat is GH-releasing factor and, recently, a group of peptides has been characterized from human pancreatic tumors (hpGRFs) (1,2) which are potent and specific GH-releasers in both animals (3) and man (4). The availability of these peptides, which show a high degree of homology with the physiologic rat hypothalamic GRF (5), offers the unique opportunity to assess somatotrope responsiveness to GRF molecules in rats with hypothalamo-pituitary disconnection. In this study we have first evaluated the GH pituitary responsiveness to increasing doses of hpGRF-40 in rats following mechanical ablation of the mediobasal hypothalamus (6). These rats, by definition, lack the effect of both central nervous system (CNS) inhibitory (e.g. somatostatin) and stimulatory (e.g. GRF) influences to GH release. With the aim to ascertain how the lack of these two opposing inputs reflects on the secretory capacity of the somatotropes, we also investigated the GH response to hpGRF-40 at different time intervals after the lesioning. In a study in rats with electrolytic lesions of the ventromedial-arcuate region of the hypothalamus Tannenbaum et al (7) had shown persistence of the GH response to huge doses of a hpGRF analog.

Effects of hysterectomy and uterine extracts on the endocrine system of adult, nonpregnant rats

Plasma concentration and anterior pituitary content of growth hormone (rGH), thyroid stimulating hormone (rTSH), prolactin, follicle stimulating hormone (rFSH), luteinizing hormone (rLH) as well as the plasma concentrations of triiodothyronine (T 3), thyroxine (T 4), corticosterone and immunoreactive somatomedin A (SM-A) have been determined in intact, ovariectomized or ovo-hysterectomized rats with and without treatment with steroid-free uterine extracts. The endocrine organs were weighed. Two weeks after hysterectomy the body weight was decreased, the weight of adrenals was increased, the plasma GH concentrations increased and the plasma TSH and T 3 concentrations were decreased compared to the sham operated controls. Treatment with steroid-free uterine extracts had opposite effects; furthermore, a reduction of pituitary FSH, GH and prolactin content was observed. Plasma immunoreactive SM-A concentrations were not significantly influenced by this treatment, but there was a positive correlation between the body weight and SM-A and a negative correlation between the plasma GH and plasma SM-A concentrations regarding the individual values of hysterectomized, uterine-extract-treated and ovariectomized animals. The results suggests that uterine factors can influence the synthesis and release of several hormones and the weight of some endocrine organs in adult, nonpregnant rats.

Ultrastructure of pituitary somatotrophs of male rats during liver carcinogenesis by 3′-methyl-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene

Somatotrophs of male Wistar rats fed a carcinogenic dose of the potent hepatocarcinogen 3'methyl-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene-(3'MeDAB) in a complete diet for up to 21 weeks, showed ultrastructural changes within one week of the start of the experiment. Morphometric analysis showed that the area of the somatotrophs occupied by hormone storage granules was reduced significantly at all stages up to 21 weeks, when the experiment was terminated. The cell area occupied by rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) was significantly increased after three weeks and RER surface density increased after eight weeks, whilst granule size was reduced after four weeks. Pituitary content of radioimmunoassayable growth hormone (RIA-GH) was also lower in treated rats than in controls, from one week after the start of the experiment, but only significantly so at eight and twelve weeks, owing to large standard errors. Serum levels of RIA-GH were similarly lower in 3'MeDAB treated rats than in controls. Withdrawal of 3'MeDAB diet after twelve weeks treatment permitted partial recovery of some cell organelles, in that the content of hormone storage granules increased and the area of the RER decreased compared to rats fed 3'MeDAB continuously. There was also a partial, but non-significant, increase in pituitary RIA-GH. The pituitaries of rats pair-fed 3'MeDAB diet for 15 weeks contained significantly less RIA-GH than matched controls. These results suggest that 3'MeDAB, or its metabolites, may react with pituitary somatotrophs and impair their ability to synthesise and secrete hormone.

Effects of hysterectomy and uterine extracts on growth hormone, somatomedin, prolactin, thyrotrophin and thyroid hormones in adult rats.

Plasma concentrations and anterior pituitary content of growth hormone (rGH), thyroid stimulating hormone (rTSH), and rat prolactin (rPrl) as well as the plasma concentrations of triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4) and somatomedin A (SM-A) have been determined in intact, castrated or hysterectomized adult rats with and without treatment with steroid-free, crude uterine extracts. Hysterectomy caused a significant increase in the plasma GH but decrease in the plasma TSH concentrations. Injection of crude, steroid-free uterine extracts for 14 days had the following effects: decreased plasma GH concentration of intact rat and anterior pituitary GH content of both intact and castrated animals; increased plasma TSH and T3 concentrations above the ovariectomized control; decreased pituitary content of prolactin in castrated rats. The plasma levels of immunoreactive somatomedins A were negatively correlated to the plasma GH concentrations but positively correlated to the body weight. It was concluded that the uterus is not only a target for different endocrine influences but contains biologically active, non-steroidal substances which have a complex effect on the endocrine system of adult, female rats.

Studies of anterior pituitary-grafted rats: II. Normal growth hormone secretion

Of the various animal models used to study chronic hyperprolactinemia, the otherwise intact rat implanted with extra anterior pituitary glands (AP) under the kidney capsule is assumed to be normal except for excess circulating prolactin (PRL). Since the ectopic glands contain numerous somatotropes in addition to abundant and active lactotropes, it was important to assess growth hormone (GH) secretion as well in this model of hyperprolactinemia. The structural and functional similarities of PRL and GH are such that it is necessary to demonstrate that metabolic abnormalities noted in AP-implanted rats are due to hyperprolactinemia and not to altered GH secretion. AP-implanted female rats have significantly higher resting serum PRL concentrations when compared to sham-operated control rats, but baseline serum GH levels are similar in normal and pituitary-grafted rats. Suppression of GH by insulin and clonidine is comparable in AP-implanted and control rats. The intrasellar pituitary GH concentration is also similar (ca. 20 μg/mg wet weight) in hyperprolactinemic and normal rats. We conclude that GH secretion is normal in the non-hypophysectomized AP-implanted rat, in contrast to the hypophysectomized AP-implanted rat model which has been reported to have diminished GH secretion. Despite the presence of recognizable somatotropes, the ectopic anterior pituitary does not appear to secrete significant amounts of GH, making the intact rat bearing multiple pituitary grafts an excellent model of chronic hyperprolactinemia.

Influence of streptozotocin-induced diabetes on growth hormone secretion in the rat.

The effects of streptozotocin-induced diabetes on pituitary growth hormone (GH) content and release from incubated pituitaries were investigated. Male rats were made diabetic by a single injection of streptozotocin (65 mg/kg) and sacrificed by decapitation 15 days later. Pituitary GH concentration was significantly reduced in streptozotocin diabetic rats as compared to that observed in control animals. The amount of GH released from hemipituitaries was also lower in diabetic rats than in controls. Kinetic characteristics of somatostatin (SRIF) inhibition of GH release were not affected by the treatment. These results suggest that the decrease in plasma GH observed by some investigators in streptozotocin diabetic rats is probably due to a deficiency in GH storage and/or synthesis rather than a change in the responsiveness of pituitary GH cells to SRIF.