Human growth hormone releasing factor infusion effects on plasma growth hormone in affective disorder patients and normal controls.
In a preliminary, prospective pilot study, five patients with major depressive disorder and eleven age and sex matched normal controls received intravenous human growth hormone releasing factor (hGRF) (1 microgram/kg in 5 cc of normal saline infused over five minutes) and placebo. Thirty minutes after insertion of the catheter, blood was sampled every 15 minutes for thirty minutes prior to and for 2 hours subsequent to intravenous infusion of hGRF or placebo. hGRF but not placebo caused significant elevations of plasma growth hormone levels in all subjects. Of interest, the depressed patients had a significantly attenuated rise in plasma growth hormone concentrations when compared with the normal controls. These results must be considered preliminary awaiting replication with a larger subject population.
Risch
S C
SC
Department of Psychiatry, University of California at San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla 92093.
Ehlers
C
C
Janowsky
D S
DS
Judd
L
L
Gillin
J C
JC
Dana
R
R
McAdams
L A
LA
D000328:Adult; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values
D013006:Growth Hormone; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone