Serum Human Growth Hormone Research Articles

Bromocriptine: effect on serum prolactin and growth hormone in psychogeriatric hospital patients.

Serum prolactin (PRL) and human growth hormone (HGH) were assessed before, and three hours after oral administration of 2.5 mg of bromocriptine in 39 hospitalized geriatric patients with organic brain syndrome. Serum PRL concentrations decreased significantly irrespective of initial values (also in the 7 geriatric control subjects), but HGH levels were low in all patients and did not change during the three hours after administration of bromocriptine. Closer scrutiny of the HGH responses to bromocriptine in 5 patients and 5 controls showed that the serum HGH response was more variable among the patients than among the controls. The findings are discussed in relation to neuroendocrine changes associated with aging, institutional living, and mental disease.

Stimulatory effect of glycine on human growth hormone secretion

Glycine (250 ml 0.3 M glycine) was administered orally to 19 nonobese normal subjects and 12 subjects with partial gastrectomy. In the normal subjects, a clear and significant increase of serum human growth hormone (hGH) level was observed ( p < 0.001), whereas serum immunoreactive insulin (IRI), prolactin (PRL), and blood sugar (BS) levels were not affected after the drug administration. A more pronounced and significant increase of hGH value in serum was found in the subjects with gastrectomy than in the normal controls ( p < 0.001). Thus we administered the drug intraduodenally in normal subjects. The similar rise of hGH to that of the gastrectomied group was obtained in normals by this administration. The facts demonstrated that glycine is one of the stimulatory agents inducing the pituitary gland to secrete hGH. In addition, in nonobese diabetics, no significant increase of serum hGH level, even after the intraduodenal administration of glycine, was observed in the present study.

Clinical and endocrinological evaluation of 16 acromegalic patients treated by transsphenoidal surgery

Sixteen patients with acromegaly treated with transsphenoidal pituitary surgery were evaluated with the measurement of serum human growth hormone (HGH) before and after intravenous stimulation with thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH). Fourteen of these patients showed a significant rise of serum HGH after TRH stimulation before surgery. After surgery, 12 patients with Grade 2 noninvasive adenomas had normal fasting serum HGH levels which did not stimulate with TRH. Two of these patients showed high serum HGH levels both at fasting and after TRH stimulation and required a second operation to remove residual adenoma within the sella before adequate lowering of HGH was achieved. Evidence of recurrent adenoma has not occurred clinically or biochemically in this group of 12 patients followed for an average of 24 months (2 to 60 months). The results were unsatisfactory in four of these 16 patients. One patient who has a postoperative HGH of 9 ng/ml which still stimulates with TRH has made clinical improvement, but must have residual adenoma in the sella or invasive adenoma in the dura and tumor capsule. Additional treatment with irradiation has been given. Failure to achieve satisfactory results in the other three patients was attributed to the presence of locally invasive adenoma; one in the sphenoid sinus, and the other two possibly as a consequence of previous operative procedures.

Transsphenoidal microhypophysectomy in acromegaly

✓ From July, 1970, to March, 1975, 62 transsphenoidal operations were performed on 61 acromegalic patients (39 males, 22 females). Of these patients, 58 presented with symptoms of hypersecretion of human growth hormone (HGH), with relatively infrequent local effects. Each patient was evaluated neuroradiologically, and each tumor was classified as an enclosed or an invasive adenoma, with or without suprasellar extension. Anterior pituitary function was also evaluated for each patient, pre- and postoperatively. During the transsphenoidal procedure, selective gross total removal of the adenomatous tissue was attempted, and was successful in 53 patients; selective subtotal tumor removal was performed in eight patients. In 38 patients who had not undergone prior therapy, a selective total excision was achieved in 36; of these, 30 patients were considered cured, on the basis of relief of clinical symptoms and reduction of the serum HGH level to below 10 mg/ml. There was no significant difference in cure rates between the enclosed and the invasive adenomas, and no cures were achieved by any procedure short of selective total tumor removal. In these latter cases, postoperative irradiation was employed. Eighteen patients had received prior therapy in the forms of cryohypophysectomy (eight cases), cryohypophysectomy and irradiation (two cases), craniotomy (two cases), craniotomy and irradiation (two cases), and irradiation alone (four cases). The treatment results in this group were less favorable. In the entire series of 62 operations, complications occurred in eight patients in the form of cerebrospinal fluid leak, meningitis, sinusitis, nasal-oral fistula, transient diabetes insipidus (six cases), and carotid and cavernous injuries. In the group of 43 previously untreated patients, endocrine complications occurred in five, of which only three have permanent deficits. In the previously treated 18 patients, one developed compromised pituitary function from the transsphenoidal procedure. In the entire series, there was no surgical mortality, although two patients died of surgically unrelated causes.

Evaluation of propranolol-glucagon test.

A propranolol-glucagon test was evaluated in 24 control normal children, 21 pituitary dwarfs, 15 patients with constitutional short stature, 2 with chromosome aberration and 4 with miscellaneous diseases. The dose of glucagon enough for the stimulation of human growth hormone (HGH) secretion is more than 20 microgram/kg of body weight. During the test in the control subjects the serum HGH level increased from 2.3 +/- 1.2 ng/ml to a maximum level of 30.0 +/- 15.1 ng/ml, when 10 mg propranolol, regardless of body weight and 30 microgram glucagon per kg of body weight are given. The dose of propranolol administered ranged from 0.2 to 1.0 mg/kg of body weight in normal children studied. Serum 11-OHCS also increased significantly from 14.5 +/- 11.2 microgram/100 ml to 30.1 +/- 15.5 microgram/100 ml (P less than 0.01). There was no difference in the maximum level of urinary total catecholamines in propranolol-glucagon test between 7 pituitary dwarfs and 7 control subjects. The mechanism of HGH response to propranolol-glucagon administration is unknown, but propranolol-glucagon administration is a sensitive and reliable provocative test for HGH secretion, since false negative response of HGH are not observed in patients with non-pituitary disease.

Effect of sulpiride on serum growth hormone and prolactin concentrations following L-DOPA administration in man.

The effect of chronic administration of sulpiride on serum human growth hormone (hGH), prolactin and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) was examined in 6 normal subjects. Sulpiride was given orally at a dose of 300 mg (t.i.d.) for 30 days. Sulpiride raised serum prolactin levels in all subjects examined. In addition, sulpiride suppressed hGH release induced by L-dopa, although the basal hGH level was not changed. Sulpiride treatment appeared to antagonize partially the inhibitory effect of L-dopa on prolactin release. Following thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) injection, the percent increment in prolactin levels from the baseline in sulpiride-treated subjects was less than in controls without sulpiride. In contrast, both the basal and TRH-stimulated TSH levels were not influenced by sulpiride. These observations suggest that sulpiride suppresses L-dopa-induced hGH release and stimulates prolactin release, presumably by acting against the dopaminergic mechanism either on the hypothalamus or on the pituitary. The decreased prolactin response to TRH after sulpiride treatment may indicate a diminished reserve capacity in pituitary prolactin release.

Growth hormone response to L-dopa in diabetes mellitus.

The effect of a single oral dose of 0.5 g L-Dopa on the serum levels of human growth hormone (HGH) was studied in 38 diabetics and 15 age and sex matched control subjects. The diabetics were divided into three clinical sub-groups:a) juvenile diabetics, 15;b) maturity onset diabetics, 15; andc) insulin dependent diabetics admitted in a state of ketoacidosis, 8. L-Dopa-induced HGH secretion in juvenile and maturity onset diabetics was studied before and after the control of diabetes mellitus. HGH was estimated by a homologous double antibody radioimmunoassay. The fasting serum HGH in maturity onset diabetics did not differ significantly from that of control subjects; it was significantly higher in juvenile diabetics and in ketotic diabetics during ketosis and after the control of diabetes. In juvenile diabetics the mean fasting serum HGH level decreased after the control of diabetes but was still significantly higher than in normal subjects. L-Dopa caused a significant rise in serum HGH in 14 control subjects. Among the diabetics the HGH response to L-Dopa was either absent or markedly attenuated in the uncontrolled state. After the control of diabetes a significant improvement in HGH response to L-Dopa was evident in juvenile diabetics but no improvement was seen in maturity onset diabetics. There is thus a considerable derangement in HGH secretion in diabetes mellitus. The various possibilities are discussed.

Depression of growth hormone and cortisol response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia after prolonged oral delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol administration in man.

Six hospitalized volunteer male subjects were given insulin, 0.15 U/kg, before and after 14 days of administration of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) at a dose of 210 mg/day. A diminished maximal serum human growth hormone (GH) increase followed the prolonged THC ingestion. The mean maximal GH response was: 52.6 ng/ml +/- 8.7 (+/-SE) before THC and 18.8 ng/ml +/- 6.7 (+/-SE) during THC, P less than 0.01; corresponding cortisol responses were 20.1 mug/dl +/- 3.0 before THC and 10.0 mug/dl +/- 1.1 during THC, P less than 0.05. The data suggest suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis after prolonged high dose THC use. This is consistent with other reported endocrine effects of marijuana in man.

Effect of electroconvulsive therapy without anticonvulsive premedication on serum growth hormone in man.

Serum concentrations of human growth hormone (HGH) were measured in psychiatric patients during the first, third and sixth electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) without anticonvulsive premedication. Serum HGH increased 30 min after the application of current and no differences were found between responses to 1st, 3rd, or 6th ECT. Maximal increase of serum glucose was seen after the first ECT and gradual decreases after the 3rd and 6th ECT were observed

Growth hormone responses to melatonin in man.

Oral administration of 1 gram of melatonin caused rapid and significant elevations of serum human growth hormone in eight out of nine normal male subjects. The mean (+/- standard error of the mean) of the peak response by growth hormone was 22.9 +/- 4.6 microunits per milliliter. The increased secretion of growth hormone may be due to interaction of melatonin with hypothalamic serotoninergic receptors.

A possible feedback effect of serum free fatty acid levels on growth hormone secretion.

The levels of serum human growth hormone, free fatty acid, cholesterol, and triglycerides were measured in selected individuals in order to determine whether any regulatory interrelationship exists between the human growth hormone and the subject’s serum lipid composition. One pattern involving the HGH level and lipid metabolism did evolve from this study: a reciprocal relationship was found to exist between serum HGH and FFA levels. The significance of the reciprocal relationships is discussed in view of the regulatory mechanism of HGH in human subjects.

Shortened Radioimmunoassay for Human Growth Hormone

Abstract We report a radioimmunoassay procedure for human growth hormone in serum, in which the assay mixture is incubated at 37 °C for a total of 5 h rather than at 4 °C for 48 h. There was no significant difference in results by the two methods, according to the Sign Test and the signed-rank statistical test of Wilcoxin. A comparison of results at the two temperatures demonstrated a Spearmann coefficient of rank correlation value of 0.94. With this facilitation, a laboratory can provide results on the same day that the sample arrives.

Abnormal insulin secretion in Parkinson's disease before and during L-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-dopa) therapy.

SUMMARY Insulin and glucose metabolism were studied in parkinsonian patients before and during treatment with l-DOPA and in a chronically ill, elderly, control group of patients. The parkinsonian patients had a low absolute glucose disappearance rate and a low serum insulin response to intravenous glucose compared with controls, which was not altered by l-DOPA therapy. The serum glucose and insulin responses to the oral glucose tolerance tests in parkinsonian patients were similar to those of the control group. Normal immediate insulin responses were observed after infusions of tolbutamide and glucagon. l-DOPA decreased serum insulin and glucose levels during the first 90 min of the oral glucose tolerance test and produced an increase in concentration of human growth hormone in serum of some parkinsonian patients. l-DOPA therapy had no effect on intravenous tolbutamide and glucagon tolerance tests. Our results indicate a selective defect in the mechanism of intravenous glucose-induced insulin release in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Secretion of human growth hormone (HGH). 1. Basic study of HGH determination and serum HGH in normal subjects

Secretion of human growth hormone (HGH). 1. Basic study of HGH determination and serum HGH in normal subjects

The serum insulin and growth hormone response to arginine and to arginine with glucose in the premature infant.

Serum insulin and human growth hormone (HGH) levels were measured in 33 premature infants during the first 24 hours of life, following the infusion of arginine, glucose, and glucose plus arginine. Infusion of arginine (2.5 g) was followed by a moderate early rise in serum insulin and a marked and delayed rise in serum HGH. Glucose (1.25 g) infusion resulted in a small insulin response and a rise of serum HGH. However the simultaneous administration of arginine and glucose, each in amounts of 1.25 g, was associated with a prompt marked rise of serum insulin and a delayed rise of serum HGH.

Development of antibodies to human growth hormone (HGH) in children of short stature treated with HGH.

ABSTRACT The development of antibodies against HGH (Raben) has been studied in 10 children with short stature who have been treated with HGH for from 4 months up to 5 years. Significant titres of antibody against HGH, &gt; 1 : 3100, with a low avidity to 125I-HGH were found radioimmunologically by a simple double antibody immunoassay method in three out of 10 children. In these patients a concomitant decrease in the growth rate was observed simultaneously with the appearance of antibodies against HGH. The occurrence of clinically significant titres of antibodies against HGH in all three patients coincided with the administration of one single batch (no. 5) of HGH. However, two children who initially had shown a good response to therapeutic doses of HGH developed a rapid decrease growth rate after three years of successful treatment, without any evidence of detectable antibodies against HGH in the peripheral serum. The data obtained suggest that as well as antibodies against HGH, other factors may also account for the development of resistance to the therapeutic effect of HGH.

Effects of alcohol ingestion on growth hormone levels: their relation to 11-hydroxycorticoid levels and serum FFA.

The effects of alcohol, 1.5 ml/kg, administered orally in a 20% solution, on the concentration of human growth hormone (HGH), free fatty acids (FFA), 11-hydroxycorticoids, glucose, and immunoreactive insulin (IRI) were studied in 11 healthy males. The results were compared with a control study in each subject in which water alone was ingested. The alcohol-consuming phase showed a significant rise in serum HGH levels, plasma 11-hydroxycorticoid concentration and a sharp drop in serum FFA levels with no change in blood glucose or serum IRI. This lowering of FFA was felt to be due to decreased influx of these acids from the fat depots. The appearance of a drop in serum FFA, along with a rise in HGH levels, suggests the possibility that these findings may be causally related.

A combined immunoassay of human growth hormone and insulin: cumulative assessment of assay performance.

ABSTRACT A simultaneous immunoassay of serum human growth hormone and insulin by the double-antibody technique is described. The assay can detect 5 μU/ml of insulin and 0.06 ng/ml of human growth hormone in serum samples. Using Rodbard's statistical quality control procedure, the assay performance followed through a period of 6 months indicated a precision and reproducibility comparable to that obtainable by separate double-antibody immunoassay systems.

Systematic Affection of Bone in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Tottori University School of Medicine

The authors described the clinical features, radiologic findings and laboratory findings in four patients-osteogenesis imperfecta congenita (thick bone type), osteogenesis imperfecta tarda without fracture, gargoylism and Albright's syndrome-out of 13 patients with the systematic affection of the bone were registered in the department of orthopedic surgery, Tottori university school of medicine, for the past six months.Especially, in a patient with Albright's syndrome, the laboratory examinations were performed in detail. As a consequence, the serum human growth hormone measured by radioimmunoassay was remarkedly elevated (124mμl/ml), Thereby, some etiologies of Albright's syndrome were discussed.

Studies of glucose, insulin, and lipid metabolism in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other neuromuscular disorders.

Abstract Inpatients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and with other various neuromascular (NM) diseases were compared in their responses to the intravenous glucose tolerance test (GTT), the insulin tolerance test (ITT), and the tolbutamide tolerance test: (TTT). Patients with neuromuscular diseases other than ALS (NM control group) responded for all studies within the normal range. Higher fasting serum lipid levels but no significant differences in fasting serum glucose, insulin, or human growth hormone (HGH) were noted in the ALS group. Lower rates of glucose utilization and higher post-glucose insulin levels during the intravenous GTT were observed in the ALS group. These and similar results from the TTT were interpreted as resistance to endogenous insulin in ALS. The ITT studies showed a similar resistance to exogenous insulin among the ALS patients. There was no relationships among the metabolic abnormalities and clinical state of the ALS patients. These data show that ALS patients have insulin resistance and decreased glucose utilization which cannot be explained purely by muscular dysfunction, other adventitious factors secondary to this motor neuron disease, or pancreatic dysfunction. These metabolic abnormalities associated with ALS are differentiated from those of late-onset diabetes, obesity, inanition, and myotonic dystrophy but not from those of severe depression.