title: Acute effects of growth hormone administration: vitamin A and visceral protein concentrations.
abstract: We determined albumin, total protein, somatomedin C, retinol binding protein (RBP), transferrin, prealbumin, and complement (C3) concentrations in serum, and vitamin A concentrations in plasma before initiation of growth hormone (GH) therapy and 13 h after each of 4 daily injections of GH (0.1 U/kg) in 6 GH deficient children. Levels of total protein, albumin, and transferrin did not change during the first week of GH administration, however, transferrin levels rose after 6 weeks of GH therapy. Initial somatomedin C levels were below the normal range (0.19 +/- 0.03 U/ml), and rose with GH administration in 4 of the 6 subjects, resulting in a post-treatment mean of 0.56 +/- 0.23 U/ml. With GH administration vitamin A and RBP concentrations decreased from initial values (P less than 0.05), and reached a plateau after 2 injections of GH, while there was no change in concentrations of other proteins. There was a significant linear correlation (P less than 0.05) between the levels of vitamin A and RBP before and after GH administration. We conclude that GH administration results in a selective and marked reduction in the concentrations of plasma vitamin A and serum RBP.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003176:Complement C3 / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth / Q000187:drug effects; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D008297:Male; D011228:Prealbumin / Q000378:metabolism; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism; D013002:Somatomedins / Q000097:blood; D013997:Time Factors; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D003176:Complement C3; D011228:Prealbumin; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma; D012709:Serum Albumin; D013002:Somatomedins; D014168:Transferrin; D014801:Vitamin A; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D013006:Growth Hormone