title: Changes in basal and stimulated growth hormone secretion in the aging rhesus monkey: a comparison of chair restraint and tether and vest sampling.
abstract: We studied basal serum GH and GH responses to iv clonidine and insulin-induced hypoglycemia in a group of four young (5-7 yr old) and four older (10-14 yr old) adult male rhesus monkeys under two restraint conditions, chair adaptation and a tether and vest system, to determine what changes in GH secretion occur with aging. The serum GH response to iv administration of GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) was also studied in the groups under tether and vest restraint. Serum samples were collected every 15 min and assayed for GH using a human GH RIA and for cortisol using an enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay. GH and cortisol concentrations in the young and older groups were analyzed with analysis of variance (ANOVA). In the chaired studies the older animals had a lower mean 6-h basal GH concentration than did the younger animals (2.7 +/- 0.8 vs. 3.5 +/- 0.5 micrograms/L; P = 0.0002). Prestimulation GH was lower before clonidine and insulin in the older chaired group (1.1 +/- 0.5 and 2.3 +/- 0.6 micrograms/L, respectively) compared to the younger group (3.6 +/- 0.8 and 3.8 +/- 0.7 micrograms/L, respectively; P less than 0.001). Poststimulation GH was lower after clonidine and insulin in the older chaired group (3.2 +/- 2.4 and 7.1 +/- 2.8 micrograms/L, respectively) compared to the younger chaired group (6.3 +/- 2.2 and 10.3 +/- 3.0 micrograms/L, respectively; P less than 0.05), but the differences in GH increments were not statistically significant. In the tether and vest studies the older animals had a lower mean 6-h basal GH concentration than did the younger animals (1.7 +/- 0.4 vs. 3.5 +/- 1.2 micrograms/L; P less than 0.0001). Prestimulation GH concentrations were also lower in the older tethered animals before clonidine (2.1 +/- 0.3 micrograms/L) and GHRH (1.4 +/- 0.2 micrograms/L) compared to levels in the younger animals (3.1 +/- 0.9 and 3.2 +/- 0.7 micrograms/L; P = 0.0023 and P = 0.0001, respectively). The younger tethered animals had greater poststimulation responses to clonidine (8.7 +/- 3.0 micrograms/L), insulin (8.8 +/- 3.6 micrograms/L), and GHRH (6.0 +/- 2.4 micrograms/L) than the older animals (3.8 +/- 0.9, 3.9 +/- 2.5, and 2.9 +/- 0.7 micrograms/L; P less than 0.0001, P = 0.0025, and P less than 0.03, respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of California School of Medicine, Davis 95616.
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Wheeler
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Schutzengel
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barry
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Styne
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D003000:Clonidine / Q000494:pharmacology; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced; D007328:Insulin / Q000494:pharmacology; D007700:Kinetics; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008297:Male; D012149:Restraint, Physical
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D013006:Growth Hormone; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone; D003000:Clonidine; D006854:Hydrocortisone