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Effects of GH and IGF-I administration on GHRH and somatostatin mRNA levels: I a study on ad libitum fed and starved adult male rats

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Abstract

The individual role played by GH and IGF-I in the regulation of hypothalamic GHRH and SRIF gene expression is still object of debate. We have investigated the effect of exogenously administered recombinant hGH (rhGH) and recombinant hIGF-I (rhIGF-I) in ad libitum fed control and starved rats, the latter an animal model which is characterized by low circulating levels of endogenous GH and IGF-I. Adult male rats were fed ad libitum (C) or food-deprived (S) for 72 hours; rats in either C or S groups were treated with systemic administration of rhGH and rhIGF-I for 3 days. GHRH, SRIF and GH mRNA levels were evaluated by Northern and slot blot hybridization. Administration of rhGH (250 μg/kg/twice daily, sc) induced a significant inhibition of GHRH and a significant stimulation of SRIF mRNA levels in C rats; GH treatment was, however, ineffective on both neuropeptide mRNA levels in the S group. Continuous infusion of rhIGF-I (300 μg/kg/day, sc) induced a significant increase of SRIF levels in both C and S rats but did not modify GHRH mRNA levels in either group. In the pituitary, GH mRNA levels followed a pattern very similar to that of GHRH. These results provide evidence for a direct role of GH in the inhibition of GHRH mRNA levels; IGF-I appears more involved in the direct stimulation of SRIF mRNA levels.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Farmacologia, Universitàdegli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy

    M. C. Ghigo, A. Torsello M.D., R. Grilli, M. Luoni, M. Guidi, S. G. Cella, V. Locatelli & E. E. Müller

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  1. M. C. Ghigo
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  2. A. Torsello M.D.
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  3. R. Grilli
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  4. M. Luoni
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  5. M. Guidi
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  6. S. G. Cella
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  7. V. Locatelli
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  8. E. E. Müller
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Ghigo, M.C., Torsello, A., Grilli, R. et al. Effects of GH and IGF-I administration on GHRH and somatostatin mRNA levels: I a study on ad libitum fed and starved adult male rats. J Endocrinol Invest 20, 144–150 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03346893

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03346893

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