Mechanism of serotonin effects on prolactin and growth hormone secretion in domestic fowl

1983 ◽  
Vol 104 (3) ◽  
pp. 266-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. R. Hall ◽  
S. Harvey ◽  
A. Chadwick

Abstract. Brain serotonin levels were increased in immature chickens by ip injection of pargyline (75 mg/kg) and clorgyline (5 mg/kg) and by l-tryptophan (100 mg/kg) and imipramine (10 mg/kg) treatment. These treatments increased the circulating prolactin level and reduced the concentration of plasma growth hormone (GH). Treatment with para-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA, 100 mg/kg) reduced the brain serotonin content and the level of plasma prolactin. Treatment with these drugs in vivo similarly affected the basal level of prolactin release from pituitary glands in vitro, although it did not affect the basal level of GH release. The in vitro responsiveness of the pituitary gland to hypothalamic stimuli eliciting prolactin secretion was increased by in vivo pargyline and combined tryptophan: imipramine treatment but reduced by PCPA administration. The in vitro GH response to hypothalamic stimulation was reduced after the in vivo injection of pargyline, clorgyline and tryptophan: imipramine. The hypothalami from clorgyline and tryptophan: imipramine treated birds induced a greater stimulation of in vitro prolactin secretion from control pituitary glands than hypothalami from controls birds, whereas the GH releasing activity was reduced. These results suggest that serotonin stimulates prolactin secretion in chickens by increasing pituitary responsiveness to hypothalamic releasing factors and by increasing the prolactin releasing activity of the hypothalamus. Serotonin appears to suppress GH secretion by reducing pituitary sensitivity to releasing factors and by reducing hypothalamic GH releasing activity.

1988 ◽  
Vol 119 (3) ◽  
pp. 421-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Foltzer-Jourdainne ◽  
S. Harvey ◽  
P. Mialhe

ABSTRACT Release of GH from perifused duckling hemipituitaries was stimulated, in a biphasic manner, by synthetic TRH and human pancreatic GH-releasing factor (GRF). At all effective concentrations, the level of GH release was increased within 5 min of TRH or GRF perifusion and was maximal after 10 min of TRH perifusion and after 20 min of GRF perifusion. Although TRH was perifused for 20 min the level of GH release declined during the last 10 min. The most effective dose of TRH (1·0 μg/ml; 2·7 μmol/l) and GRF (0·5 μg/ml; 110 nmol/l) provoked similar (250– 300%) increases in the level of GH release. However, since the effect of TRH was only of short duration, the total release of GH induced by GRF was higher than that elicited by TRH, especially with the low dose. The increase in release of GH induced by TRH or GRF was blunted when pituitaries from adult ducks were used. As in young ducks, the GH response to GRF was higher, whereas the response to TRH was very low. The GH response of perifused adult pituitaries to GRF was, however, potentiated when TRH was perifused simultaneously. The basal release of GH from both young and adult pituitary glands was unaffected by perifusion with somatostatin-14 (SRIF-14) at doses of 1 and 2 μg/ml. The perifusion of hemipituitary glands with similar doses of SRIF-14 was also unable to suppress the stimulation of GH release induced by prior perifusion with GRF, although when SRIF-14 and TRH were simultaneously perifused TRH-induced GH release was markedly suppressed. These results demonstrate direct effects and interactions of TRH, GRF and SRIF on the release of GH from duck pituitary glands. GRF is the most potent releasing factor for GH in both young and adult ducks although in adult ducks it is less effective. These results also provide evidence that the age-related decline in the in-vivo GH response to TRH is due to a desensitization of pituitary somatotrophs. J. Endocr. (1988) 119, 421–429


1979 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. HARVEY ◽  
C. G. SCANES ◽  
A. CHADWICK ◽  
G. BORDER ◽  
N. J. BOLTON

SUMMARY The effects of a chicken hypothalamic extract (HE) on the secretion of prolactin and growth hormone (GH) in vivo have been investigated by radioimmunoassay in the domestic fowl. Different i.v. doses of HE (0·25–25 HE equivalents/kg body weight) had no effect on GH secretion in conscious or anaesthetized cockerels. In both groups of birds the concentration of plasma prolactin was significantly increased within 10 min of administration of the extract. Extracts of other brain tissues (cerebral cortex, cerebellum and medulla oblongata) had no stimulatory effect on prolactin or GH secretion. Release of both prolactin and GH by dispersed pituitary cells and by hemipituitary glands in vitro was enhanced following incubation with HE (5 hypothalami equivalents/ml) or with single whole hypothalami respectively. Other brain tissues (cerebellum, optic lobes and medulla oblongata) had no effect on the concentration of prolactin or GH released by incubated hemipituitary glands.


2000 ◽  
pp. R11-R14 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Peino ◽  
R Baldelli ◽  
J Rodriguez-Garcia ◽  
S Rodriguez-Segade ◽  
M Kojima ◽  
...  

Ghrelin is a novel growth hormone (GH) releaser acylated peptide that has recently been purified from stomach, and which potently binds to the GH secretagogue receptor. Ghrelin releases GH in vitro and in vivo in animal models, however its actions, potency and specificity in humans are unknown. In the present study, 12 healthy subjects were studied: 6 underwent four tests with ghrelin administered i.v. at the dose of 0 (placebo), 0.25, 0.5 and 1 microg/kg which corresponds to 0, 18, 37 and 75 microg total dose. A further 6 volunteers underwent two tests on different days with ghrelin at the dose of 3.3 or 6.6 microg/kg which corresponds to 250 microg and 500 microg total dose. Ghrelin-mediated GH secretion showed a dose-response curve, in which 1 microg/kg was the minimally effective dose in some individuals, but not as a group. On the contrary, the total doses of 250 microg and 500 microg elicited a powerful GH secretion, with a mean peak of 69.8+/-9.2 microg/l and 90.9+/-16.9 microg/l respectively, and areas under the curve of 4435+/-608 and 6125+/-1008 microg/l per 120 min respectively. All of them statistically significant vs placebo and vs the 1 microg/kg dose. Ghrelin administration also elicited a relevant dose-response mediated prolactin secretion suggesting no specificity of its actions. No relevant side effects were observed with ghrelin apart from a hyperhydrosis episode in two individuals tested with the higher ghrelin doses. In conclusion, ghrelin is a potent releaser of GH in normal individuals, with a dose-response pattern of operation. No saturating dose was observed.


1980 ◽  
Vol 93 (2) ◽  
pp. 134-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Donnadieu ◽  
R. M. Schimpff ◽  
P. Garnier ◽  
J. L. Chaussain ◽  
J. C. Job

Abstract. Since transferrin (Tf) in vitro has a growth-promoting activity and is associated with NSILA properties, the aim of this work was to study in vivo the relationships between Tf, somatomedin activity (SM), growth hormone (GH) secretion, and height velocity in children. An iv infusion of ornithine hydrochloride was given to 23 controls; the induced rise of GH was accompanied by a simultaneous fall of SM (r = −0.711, P < 0.001) and was preceded by a fall of Tf (r = −0.610, P < 0.01). In 17 obese children SM was within the normal range, when Tf levels were higher and arginineinduced GH peaks lower than in the controls, and a negative correlation was found between Tf basal levels and GH peaks (r = −0.608, P < 0.01). In 9 children with confirmed hypopituitarism the Tf levels were significantly lower than in the controls. In 14 children with confirmed or suspected hypopituitarism a single im injection of hGH (6 mg) failed to induce Tf variations over 24 h. In 39 of these children the height velocity was significantly correlated with Tf basal levels (r = 0.701, P < 0.001). These data suggest that transferrin is involved in growth regulation, and that GH secretion is related to transferrin levels by a feed-back mechanism.


1987 ◽  
Vol 114 (4) ◽  
pp. 465-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gian Paolo Ceda ◽  
Robert G. Davis ◽  
Andrew R. Hoffman

Abstract. Glucocorticoids have been shown to have both stimulatory and suppressive effects on GH secretion in vitro and in vivo. In order to study the kinetics of glucocorticoid action on the somatotrope, cultured rat pituitary cells were exposed to dexamethasone for varying periods of time. During short-term incubations (≤ 4 h), dexamethasone inhibited GHRH and forskolin-elicited GH secretion, but during longer incubation periods, the glucocorticoid enhanced both basal and GHRH-stimulated GH release. The inhibitory effect of brief dexamethasone exposure was also seen in cells which previously had been exposed to dexamethasone. In addition, growth hormone secretion from cultured rat and human somatotropinoma cells was inhibited by a brief exposure to dexamethasone. Thus, the nature of glucocorticoid action on the isolated cultured somatotrope is biphasic, with brief exposure inhibiting, and more prolonged exposure stimulating GH secretion.


2001 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginie Tolle ◽  
Philippe Zizzari ◽  
Catherine Tomasetto ◽  
Marie-Christine Rio ◽  
Jacques Epelbaum ◽  
...  

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