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Effect of Intranasal Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone and Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone Administration on Growth Hormone and Cortisol Release: Improved Unavailability by Means of Sodium- Gly cocholate

Istituto Scientifico San Raffaele, Cattedra di Clinica Medica, Uniuersita’ degli Studi di Milano Milano, Italy

Address requests for reprints to: A. E. Pontiroli, Istituto Scientifico San Raffaele, Via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milano, Italy.

Several peptide hormones are effective when administered intranasally (in); these include oxytocin, vasopressin, insulin, glucagon, and calcitonin. With regard to GHRH and CRH, previous studies demonstrated that their bioavailability following in administration was very low. In this study we evaluated the serum GH response to 50 µg GHRH iv and to 700 µg GHRH in, the latter given alone and with 5 and 15 mg sodium-glycocholate (SGC), a surfactant, in six normal men. The bioavailability of in GHRH, calculated as net GH secretory area, was very low, and increased to 7% that of iv GHRH when SGC was used. In the same men, 50 µg CRH was administered both iv and in, alone and with 5 and 15 mg SGC. The bioavailability of in CRH, calculated as net cortisol secretory area, was very low and increased to 100% that of iv CRH when 15 mg SGC was used.

These data indicate that the efficacy of GHRH and CRH administered in is significantly augmented by SGC.

Received July 25, 1988.