This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit a related Letter to the Editor Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Copyright Permission Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by CASANUEVA, F. F. Articles by DIEGUEZ, C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by CASANUEVA, F. F. Articles by DIEGUEZ, C.

Acute Administration of Corticoids: A New and Peculiar Stimulus of Growth Hormone Secretion in Man^*

FELIPE F. CASANUEVA, BARTOLOME BURGUERA, COVADONGA MURUAIS and CARLOS DIEGUEZ

Departments of Physiology (CM., CD.) and Medicine (F.F.C, B.B.), Hospital General Galicia, Santiago de Compostela Spain
The Endocrine Section, Faculty of Medicine, Santiago University, Santiago de Compostela Spain

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: F. F. Casanueva, M.D., P.O. Box 563, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

It is widely accepted that chronic administration of corticoids in man inhibits the GH response to all of the stimuli tested so far. To study the action of corticoids administered acutely, several dexamethasone challenge tests were performed, after which GH levels were measured for 7 h.

In eight volunteers, administration of 4 mg dexamethasone (Dex), iv, induced a clear-cut GH release compared with saline administration. The secretion followed an unusual pattern; basal GH levels (1.5 ± 0.1 µg/L) started rising 2 h after Dex injection, reaching a peak of 17.5 ± 4.4 µg/L after 3 or 3.5 h. Peak levels were maintained until 5 h post-Dex and decreased thereafter. Similar data were obtained when Dex was administered to five volunteers at the dose of 8 mg, orally, with a 30-min delay of the GH peak (19.6 ± 7.9 µg/L).

To study whether there was a cholinergic input responsible for the Dex action, another group of eight volunteers underwent three Dex tests (4 mg, iv) on three occasions, followed 90 min later by the administration of placebo (control), atropine (0.5 mg, iv), or pyridostigmine (120 mg, orally). The Dex-induced GH peak (20.8 ± 5.2 µg/L) was not significantly increased by pyridostigmine (cholinergic agonist) treatment (24.2 ± 4.0 µg/L). The blockade of muscarinic receptors by atropine induced a delay in the Dex-induced secretory peak, which appeared at 5 h. However, the Dex-atropine GH peak (14.9 ± 4.1 µg/L) was not different from the Dex-placebo one.

In conclusion, Dex alone is able to induce a clear-cut GH secretion in man. The stimulus followed a peculiar time pattern, with peaks levels attained 3 h after either iv or oral administration.

^* This work was supported by Grants FIS₈₈ 88-0818 and 89-0766 and Xunta de Galìcià.

Recipient of a research fellowship from the Fondo de Investigciònes Sanitarias SS, Spanish Ministry of Health.

Received March 27, 1989.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K Collomp, A Arlettaz, H Portier, A-M Lecoq, B Le Panse, N Rieth, and J De Ceaurriz Short-term glucocorticoid intake combined with intense training on performance and hormonal responses Br. J. Sports Med., December 1, 2008; 42(12): 983 - 988. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A Arlettaz, K Collomp, H Portier, A-M Lecoq, N Rieth, B Le Panse, and J De Ceaurriz Effects of acute prednisolone administration on exercise endurance and metabolism Br. J. Sports Med., April 1, 2008; 42(4): 250 - 254. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. M Luque, M. D Gahete, R. J Valentine, and R. D Kineman Examination of the direct effects of metabolic factors on somatotrope function in a non-human primate model, Papio anubis. J. Mol. Endocrinol., August 1, 2006; 37(1): 25 - 38. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Elnashar, E. Abdelmageed, M. Fayed, and M. Sharaf Clomiphene citrate and dexamethazone in treatment of clomiphene citrate-resistant polycystic ovary syndrome: a prospective placebo-controlled study Hum. Reprod., July 1, 2006; 21(7): 1805 - 1808. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Giordano, A. Picu, U. Pagotto, R. De Iasio, L. Bonelli, F. Prodam, F. Broglio, L. Marafetti, R. Pasquali, M. Maccario, et al. The negative association between total ghrelin levels, body mass and insulin secretion is lost in hypercortisolemic patients with Cushing's disease Eur. J. Endocrinol., October 1, 2005; 153(4): 535 - 543. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Bertoldo, M. Olivieri, G. Franchina, F. De Blasio, and V. Lo Cascio Inhaled Beclomethasone Dipropionate Acutely Stimulates Dose-Dependent Growth Hormone Secretion in Healthy Subjects Chest, August 1, 2005; 128(2): 902 - 905. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Charmandari, S. M. Pincus, D. R. Matthews, A. Johnston, C. G. D. Brook, and P. C. Hindmarsh Oral Hydrocortisone Administration in Children with Classic 21-Hydroxylase Deficiency Leads to More Synchronous Joint GH and Cortisol Secretion J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., May 1, 2002; 87(5): 2238 - 2244. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S.D. Keay, E.A. Lenton, I.D. Cooke, M.G.R. Hull, and J.M. Jenkins Low-dose dexamethasone augments the ovarian response to exogenous gonadotrophins leading to a reduction in cycle cancellation rate in a standard IVF programme Hum. Reprod., September 1, 2001; 16(9): 1861 - 1865. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T.M. O'CONNOR, D.J. O'HALLORAN, and F. SHANAHAN The stress response and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis: from molecule to melancholia QJM, June 1, 2000; 93(6): 323 - 333. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				O. Ogueh, J.P. Miell, J.C. Jones, J.S. Jones, J. Alaghband-Zadeh, and M.R. Johnson Antenatal dexamethasone and the growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor axis Hum. Reprod., June 1, 2000; 15(6): 1403 - 1406. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Iguchi, Y. Okimura, T. Takahashi, I. Mizuno, M. Fumoto, Y. Takahashi, H. Kaji, H. Abe, and K. Chihara Cloning and Characterization of the 5'-Flanking Region of the Human Growth Hormone-releasing Hormone Receptor Gene J. Biol. Chem., April 23, 1999; 274(17): 12108 - 12114. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. E. Muller, V. Locatelli, and D. Cocchi Neuroendocrine Control of Growth Hormone Secretion Physiol Rev, April 1, 1999; 79(2): 511 - 607. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Giustina and J. D. Veldhuis Pathophysiology of the Neuroregulation of Growth Hormone Secretion in Experimental Animals and the Human Endocr. Rev., December 1, 1998; 19(6): 717 - 797. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				G. Pearce, D. A. Tabensky, P. D. Delmas, H. W. G. Baker, and E. Seeman Corticosteroid-Induced Bone Loss in Men J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., March 1, 1998; 83(3): 801 - 806. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				S. Petersenn, A. C. Rasch, M. Heyens, and H. M. Schulte Structure and Regulation of the Human Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone Receptor Gene Mol. Endocrinol., February 1, 1998; 12(2): 233 - 247. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				J. S. Petrides, P. W. Gold, G. P. Mueller, A. Singh, C. Stratakis, G. P. Chrousos, and P. A. Deuster Marked differences in functioning of the hypothalamicpituitary-adrenal axis between groups of men J Appl Physiol, June 1, 1997; 82(6): 1979 - 1988. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. P. Chrousos and P. W. Gold The Concepts of Stress and Stress System Disorders: Overview of Physical and Behavioral Homeostasis JAMA, March 4, 1992; 267(9): 1244 - 1252. [Abstract] [PDF]