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Unchanged Testosterone Production Rates in Growth Hormone-Treated Healthy Men¹

Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine III, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: H. Vierhapper, Clinical Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine III, Währinger Gürtel 18–20, A-1090 Wien, Austria. E-mail: h.vierhapper{at}akh-wien.ac.at

The effect of biosynthetic human GH on the production rates of testosterone was determined in healthy men (n = 7) using the stable isotope dilution technique and mass spectrometry. 1,2-d-Testosterone (20 µg/h) was infused for 10 h (0800–1800 h). Blood samples obtained at 20-min intervals from 1400–1800 h were pooled during two 2-h periods. Subsequently, each volunteer received a daily dose of biosynthetic human GH (4 IU/day sc) for 7 days. This resulted in a rise in plasma concentrations of somatomedin-C from, basal, 0.67 ± 0.13 U/mL to 1.20 ± 0.2 U/mL on day 7 (P < 0.0001). Testosterone production rates (basal: 209.9 ± 31.0 µg/h) were unchanged by treatment with GH (day 7: 192.2 ± 30.1 µg/h). In healthy men, short-term treatment with sc GH does not influence endogenous testosterone production rates.