title: Effect of bromocriptine on insulin, growth hormone and prolactin responses to arginine in obesity.
abstract: Dopaminergic system seems to influence the regulation of insulin secretion, although in man conflicting data are reported. Furthermore, bromocriptine (BRC), a dopaminergic agonist, has been recently found to inhibit the seasonally occurring hyperinsulinemia and the increase in body weight in the hamster. On this basis, we investigated the effect of BRC on spontaneous and stimulated insulin secretion in human obesity. Six obese (BMI: 33.2 +/- 1.6 Kg/m2) underwent the administration of: 1) arginine (ARG, 0.5 g/Kg iv in 30 min), 2) BRC (2.5 mg po), 3) ARG+BRC. In each test plasma glucose and serum insulin, growth hormone (GH) and prolactin levels were determined. BRC did not significantly reduce spontaneous and ARG-induced insulin release. Baseline and stimulated glucose levels were also unchanged. BRC determined an increase in GH levels (3.7 +/- 1.3 vs 0.5 +/- 0.3 microgram/l, p < 0.05), but failed to modify the somatotrope responsiveness to ARG. On the other hand, both spontaneous and stimulated PRL secretion were reduced by BRC (2.5 +/- 0.4 vs 6.7 +/- 1.1 micrograms/l, p < 0.05 and 0.8 +/- 1.9 vs 11.0 +/- 2.1 micrograms/l, p < 0.05, respectively). Our results show that in obese patients the acute activation of dopaminergic receptors by bromocriptine fails to modify both basal and ARG-induced insulin release, while inhibits spontaneous and stimulated PRL secretion. Our data also show that the low GH response to arginine in obesity is not improved by the coadministration of bromocriptine, in agreement with the hypothesis that both substances act by the same mechanism, i.e. inhibition of endogenous somatostatin release.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisiopatologia Clinica, University of Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maccario
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grottoli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Procopio
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Oleandri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barberis
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ciccarelli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Camanni
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ghigo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001971:Bromocriptine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006727:Hormone Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011388:Prolactin / Q000378:metabolism; D012636:Secretory Rate / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D006727:Hormone Antagonists; D007328:Insulin; D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D001971:Bromocriptine; D011388:Prolactin; D001120:Arginine