title: Effect of route and frequency of administration of apomorphine on growth hormone release in African catfish (Clarias gariepinus).
abstract: Apomorphine is known to stimulate growth hormone release in African catfish following an intraperitoneal (IP) injection. In the present study the effect of apomorphine (5 or 20 mg/kg body weight) on plasma GH levels was evaluated after gastro-intestinal or parenteral delivery. Apomorphine increased the plasma GH concentration regardless of the route of administration, indicating that apomorphine can be absorbed from the intestinal tract. The effect of repeated administration of apomorphine differed clearly between the tested doses. Although a single IP injection with 20 mg apomorphine/kg body weight resulted in a clear increase in plasma GH levels, a second injection given 12 hours later was ineffective. In contrast the last of 4 consecutive injections with 5 mg apomorphine/kg body weight given at intervals of 12 hours stimulated the plasma GH levels in a similar way to a single IP injection with the same dose.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Ecology and Aquaculture, Zoological Institute, Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. Olivier.Lescroart@bio.kuleuven.ac.be
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lescroart
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Roelants
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cauwenberghs
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Schrijver
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Kühn
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ollevier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001058:Apomorphine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002397:Catfishes; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004333:Drug Administration Routes; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D007441:Intubation, Gastrointestinal; D008297:Male; D012007:Rectum
chemical_list: D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D013006:Growth Hormone; D001058:Apomorphine