Abstract
12 adolescents referred for excessive height prediction were studied. Somatostatin like immunoreactivity (SLI) and plasma GH levels were measured during saline infusion and after TRH injection. SLI was measured after extraction by RIA with antibody against 14 cyclic somatostatin. In 6 subjects, TRH induced a sharp increase of GH from 2.3 ± 0.6 ng/ml to 23 ± 3.6 ng/ml; SLI dropped by 60% averaging 12.1 ± 5.8 pg/ml before and 4.8 ± 4.1 pg/ml during the 20 to 60 min after TRH injection. In 6 other patients TRH induced no significant changes of plasma GH (3.1 ± 1.1 ng/ml) nor SLI (11.3 ± 4.1 pg/ml). During the saline infusion mean levels of SLI were the same in the 2 groups of subjects (12 ± 4.8 pg/ml). 5 GH responders subjects undergone bromocriptine treatment (5 mg/day). After 3 months of this treatment the paradoxical rise of GH and the drop in SLI levels after TRH injection were suppressed. It is thus hypothesized that the GH release after TRH in tall adolescents is due to a decrease inhibitory effect of somatostatin at the pituitary level.
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Brion, D., Blanco, M. Somatostatin decrease associated with growth hormone increase after TRH injection in constitutionally tall adolescents. Pediatr Res 18, 1209 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198411000-00052
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198411000-00052