Comparison with growth hormone responses to various drugs or substances in patients with active acromegaly (Japanese)

Abstract

Growth hormone (GH) responses to L dopa, 2 Br α ergocryptine (CB 154), thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH), luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LH RH), glucagon and glucose were investigated in 6 patients with active acromegaly. The following results were obtained: Subcutaneous injection of 1 mg glucagon caused a clear cut decrease in plasma GH levels in 5 out of 6 active acromegalic patients at 30 minutes after the injection. In 2 out of 6 patients a rebound of plasma GH was observed. In 3 out of 6 patients with active acromegaly, oral administration of 0.5 g L dopa caused a significant suppression of plasma GH levels. CB 154 (2.5 mg) administered orally elicited a marked decrease in plasma GH levels in the same 3 patients who showed a significant suppressive GH response to L dopa, and the inhibitory effect of CB 154 on GH secretion lasted for 6 hours. These patients who had a GH response to L dopa or CB 154 were named 'responders'. Intravenous administration of TRH resulted in a significant increase in plasma GH in 4 patients 3 of whom were responders and the other a non responder. Pretreatment with CB 154 did not modify the TRH induced GH increase in all patients who had a positive response to TRH. A significant increase in plasma GH was elicited by the intravenous injection of 100 μg LH RH in 3 out of 6 patients with acromegaly. When oral administration of CB 154 had been given 2 hours before LH RH, the GH response to LH RH was blunted in 2 of 3 patients who had a LH RH induced increase in plasma GH levels.