title: Growth hormone releasing factor in human cerebrospinal fluid.
abstract: Growth hormone releasing factor (GHRF) was determined by radioimmunoassay in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 37 unmedicated healthy volunteers (mean +/- SD = 23.4 +/- 7.2 pg/ml). A second lumbar puncture in 11 of these subjects suggested that the CSF GHRF levels were stable over time. High performance liquid chromatography revealed that the CSF immunoreactivity co-eluted with the 1-44NH2 and 1-4ONH2 forms of GHRF. Measurements of GHRF in sequential CSF aliquots revealed no evidence of a rostro-caudal gradient, an observation that is compatible with the hypothesis that GHRF has a long half-life in CSF. A significant negative correlation with body weight was found in the 37 subjects. Levels of CSF GHRF were determined in 24 lithium-treated euthymic bipolar patients, 13 of whom provided a second CSF sample during the unmedicated state. No group differences or effects of lithium were noted.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
chemical_list: D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone