title: The half-life of exogenous growth hormone after suppression of endogenous growth hormone secretion with somatostatin.
abstract: We have estimated the half-life of serum growth hormone (GH) in six subjects on 14 occasions following an intravenous bolus injection of either 50 or 500 mU of biosynthetic human growth hormone (B-hGH) while endogenous GH secretion was suppressed by a continuous infusion of somatostatin. The disappearance curve of serum GH was mono-exponential and the mean half-life was 8.9 min (SD 1.5). This is less than previously reported and has important implications for the performance of GH profiles, which should be performed with 10-15 min sampling intervals, and the calculation of pituitary GH secretion rates.
authors.affiliation: Endocrine Unit, Middlesex Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Hindmarsh
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Matthews
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Brain
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Pringle
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: di Silvio
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Kurtz
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Brook
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D015592:Immunoradiometric Assay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013004:Somatostatin; D013006:Growth Hormone