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The Growth Hormone Response to Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone in Insulin-Dependent Diabetics Involves a Cholinergic Mechanism^*

Istituto di Clinica Medica Generate e Terapia Medica Ospedale di Parma, Parma, Italy
Universita di Parma, Parma, Divisione di Medicina Generate Ospedale di Parma, Parma, Italy
Divisione di Medicina Generate Ospedale di Codogno, Codogno, Italy

Address requests for reprints to: Dr. Paolo Chiodera, Istituto di Clinica Medica, Generale e Terapia Medica, Universita di Parma, via Gramsci 14, Parma 1-43100, Italy.

In order to establish whether cholinergic receptors mediate GH secretion induced by TRH in insulin-dependent diabetes, 10 patients were treated with pirenzepine, an anticholinergic agent, and tested with TRH. Basal concentrations of GH were elevated in these patients and 8 of 10 patients responded to TRH with a significant rise in GH levels. Pretreatment with pirenzepine (40 mg given iv 10 min before TRH) suppressed the TRH-induced GH rise. Pirenzepine had no effect on TRH-induced TSH release. This finding suggests that a cholinergic mechanism is involved in the paradoxical response of GH to TRH in diabetic patients.

^* This work was supported by a Ministero della Pubblica Instruzione grant (to P.C.).

Received February 27, 1984.