title: Synthetic pancreatic growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF-40) stimulates the secretion of the endocrine pancreas.
abstract: The effects on islet hormone secretion of the synthetic replicates of two peptides with potent GH-releasing activity isolated from human pancreatic islet cell tumors (GRF-40 and GRF-44) were studied using the isolated, perfused dog pancreas. GRF-40 produced a dose-dependent stimulation of insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin secretion. The responses to GRF-40 were modified by the prevailing glucose level: higher insulin and somatostatin and lower glucagon responses were obtained at high rather than low glucose. In contrast, GRF-44 did not produce any stimulation of the endocrine pancreas. In vivo GRF-40 and GRF-44 elicited identical pronounced growth hormone responses in the rat. The findings reported here provide support that pancreatic insulin and glucagon are modulated by GRF-40 with somatostatin as its inhibitory counterpart. The question, whether GRF-40 is of physiologic relevance in the regulation of the endocrine pancreas, must await evidence that it is present and releasable from the pancreas.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hermansen
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kappelgaard
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Esmann
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Orskov
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D004285:Dogs; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005934:Glucagon / Q000378:metabolism; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C036893:somatotropin releasing factor 40; D013004:Somatostatin; D013006:Growth Hormone; D005934:Glucagon; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone