Somatostatin infusion suppresses gh secretory burst frequency and mass in normal men. Calabresi, Emanuela, Eiji Ishikawa, Laura Bartolini, Giuseppe Delitala, Giuseppe Fanciulli, Osvaldo Oliva, Johannes D Veldhuis, and Mario Serio. Department of Clinical Physiopathology, Endocrine Unit, University of Florence, Italy, Department of Biochemistry Medical College of Miyazaki, Japan, Department of Hematology and Endocrinology, Endocrine Unit, University of Sassari, Italy, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, National Science Foundation Center for Biological Timing, Health Sciences Center, Charlottesville, Virginia
APStracts 3:0036E, 1996.
In attempting to elucidate the neuroendocrine mechanisms that regulate pulsatile GH secretion, we measured serum GH concentrations by an ultrasensitive immunofluorometric method in blood collected every 10 minutes for 8 h in 11 young healthy male volunteers (age range 21 -31years) before and during somatostatin administration (SS) (an i.v. bolus dose of 350 [mu]g followed by a continuous infusion at the rate of 6 [mu]g/kg/h which increases the circulating SS levels to about 570 pg/ml). Pulsatile GH secretion was analysed using the computer -assisted pulse detection program Cluster and deconvolution analysis. The area and frequency of GH peaks were significantly reduced during SS infusion compared to basal values but detectable pulsatile episodes were still present .These data suggest that in adult males SS controls pulsatile GH secretion and can decrease the mass and frequency of GH secretory bursts.

Received 12 June 1995; accepted in final form 5 January 1996.
APS Manuscript Number E267-5.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Endocrinol. Metab.).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 14 February 96