title: Secretion of growth hormone releasing hormone in obese children.
abstract: We have evaluated baseline and l-dopa-stimulated peripheral growth hormone releasing hormone (pGHRH) secretion in 6 obese pre-pubertal children and in 7 age-matched controls. Baseline pGHRH levels were no different between obese (36.6 +/- 9.8 pg/ml, mean +/- SE) and control children (40.6 +/- 10.1 pg/ml). Administration of l-dopa (500 mg po) caused a significant increase of pGHRH levels in both the obese (65.3 +/- 19.8 pg/ml, p less than 0.05) and the control children (84.1 +/- 10.0 pg/ml, p less than 0.003). Mean peak pGHRH levels after l-dopa were not significantly different between the two groups, whereas mean peak GH levels were significantly lower (p less than 0.05) in the obese (7.9 +/- 1.9 ng/ml) than in the control children (20.5 +/- 4.9 ng/ml). We conclude that despite reduced GH secretion, obese children have normal baseline and l-dopa stimulated pGHRH levels.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Clinica Pediatrica, Università di Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Loche
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Balzano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bozzola
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moretta
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pintus
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Faedda
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Muntoni
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Carta
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pintor
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D007980:Levodopa; D013006:Growth Hormone; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone