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Dexamethasone Treatment in Man Induces Changes in 24-Hour Growth Hormone (GH) Secretion Profile without Altering Total GH Released^*

F. P. PRALONG, J. P. MIELL, R. CORDER and R. C. GAILLARD

Neuroendocrine Unit, Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, University Hospital 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. F. P. Pralong, Clinique Medicale, University Hospital, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.

Glucocorticoids inhibit growth in man and laboratory animals and reduce the GH response to the majority of exogenously administered stimuli. Recently, however, glucocorticoids have been shown to have varying effects on GH secretion depending on the time of administration and, furthermore, to be potent secretagogues in their own right. To investigate this further, we have carried out sampling over two 24-h periods in six normal male volunteers both before and directly after treatment with dexamethasone (DEX; 2 mg twice daily) for 96 h. After DEX administration, all volunteers showed an increase in mean GH secretion during the first 9 h of sampling (0900–1800 h) compared with pre-DEX control profiles (5.1 ± 1.2 vs. 1.7 ± 0.5 µg/L; P < 0.001). DEX treatment also had the effect of delaying and attenuating the nocturnal peak; mean GH secretion between 0000–0200 h was significantly greater before DEX (13.6 ± 2.7 µg/L) than after DEX (3.6 ± 0.7 µg/L; P < 0.001), whereas that between 0300–0800 h was greater after DEX (5.5 ± 0.8 vs. 0.7 ± 0.2 µg/L; P < 0.001). Individual nocturnal peaks ranged from 7.0–56.8 µg/L, occurring between 0030–0200 h before DEX, and 2.6–21.2 µg/L, occurring between 0300–0400 h after DEX. Overall mean GH secretion was not significantly altered by DEX treatment (3.8 ± 0.6 vs. 4.2 ± 0.5 µg/L; P = NS).

Total insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) levels, measured after acid-ethanol extraction, were significantly increased by DEX treatment, with mean IGF-I over the 24-h sampling period rising from 292.2 ± 31.8 to 425.9 ± 37 µg/h (P < 0.005). All individuals showed an increase in mean 24-h IGF-I of between 10–75%.

In a second study, 12 male volunteers were treated with DEX in an identical manner, and blood was taken at 0800 h daily. Total IGF-I levels rose steadily from 307.9 ± 13.3 µg/L, reached a plateau at 72 h and remained elevated at 96 h (424.9 ± 16.5 µg/L; P < 0.001).

These results suggest that glucocorticoids alter the normal pattern of GH secretion with an increase in daytime levels, but a delaying and attenuating effect on the nocturnal pulse. Previous studies have suggested that IGF-I concentrations are decreased by steroid treatment, but these have been based on bioassay systems. Total IGF-I, measured by RIA, would appear to be consistently elevated; the apparent decrease seen in bioassay systems may be due to glucocorticoid-induced changes in binding protein concentrations.

^* This work was supported by the Swiss National Science Fundation (Grant 3.091.087).

Present address: Department of Medicine, King's College School of Medicine, Bessemer Road, London, SE5 9PJ England.

Received November 26, 1990.

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