title: GH responses to growth hormone releasing factor in depression.
abstract: The growth hormone (GH), thyrotrophin (TSH) and prolactin response to growth hormone releasing factor (GRF) was investigated in 18 patients suffering from major depression with melancholia and in 18 age- and sex-matched normal controls. There was no significant difference in the GH response to GRF stimulation between the patients and controls and in neither subject group was there a demonstrable TSH or prolactin response to GRF. These findings indicate that the pathophysiology underlying the blunted GH response to pharmacological challenge, demonstrated in other studies, must lie at a suprapituitary level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Wales, College of Medicine, Cardiff, U.K.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Beer
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: John
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scanlon
mesh_terms: D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D011581:Psychological Tests; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D011388:Prolactin; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013006:Growth Hormone; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone