title: Effects of sex and age on pyridostigmine potentiation of growth hormone-releasing hormone-induced growth hormone release.
abstract: Previous studies have shown that pyridostigmine (PD) is capable of increasing the growth hormone (GH) response to GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) in young healthy subjects. In order to investigate the influence of age and sex on the PD potentiation of GHRH-induced GH release, we have studied the GH response to GHRH (50 micrograms i.v.) 1 h after oral administration of placebo or PD (60 mg) in 8 young healthy men (aged 19-28 years) and 8 age-matched young women (aged 18-25 years) during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle, as well as in 8 postmenopausal women (aged 57-62 years) and 8 age-matched elderly men (aged 56-64 years). In the same subjects the effect of PD alone (60 mg p.o.) was also studied. Furthermore, in 6 postmenopausal women and 6 elderly men, the effect of a 30-mg PD oral dose on GH secretion and GH response to GHRH was evaluated with a similar protocol. The GH responses (mean +/- SE) to GHRH + placebo were similar in young men (peak 20.1 +/- 2 ng/ml, AUC 1,250 +/- 113 ng/ml/min) and women (peak 29.3 +/- 2.3 ng/ml, AUC 1,769 +/- 305 ng/ml/min). PD 60 mg was capable of significantly increasing the GH response to GHRH in young men (peak 43.5 +/- 5.1 ng/ml, AUC 3,734 +/- 472 ng/ml/min, p less than 0.005) but not in women (peak 39 +/- 2.3 ng/ml, AUC 2,479 +/- 205 ng/ml/min).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Institute of Endocrinology, Catholic University School of Medicine, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Corsello
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tofani
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Della Casa
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Rota
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sciuto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Colasanti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barbarino
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005260:Female; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D011729:Pyridostigmine Bromide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: D013006:Growth Hormone; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone; D011729:Pyridostigmine Bromide