Nocturnal release of immunoreactive growth hormone-releasing hormone and growth hormone in normal children
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ABSTRACT ABSTRACT: To evaluate the role of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) in the physiologic release of growth hormone (GH) we studied the nocturnal secretion of immunoreactive GHRH
(ir-GHRH) and its relationship to GH release and various stages of sleep in six prepubertal (three boys) and six pubertal children (two boys) with normal stature. Their ages ranged from 8.1
to 14.9 yr and their bone ages from 6.8 to 14.8 yr. Blood was withdrawn continuously between 2200-0600 h at a constant rate of 5 mL/20 min. The EEG was simultaneously registered. The
ir-GHRH and GH data were analyzed by a discrete-pulse detection algorithm (Pulsar). The number of nocturnal ir- GHRH pulses varied from 0-8 (median 7) and the number of GH peaks from 2-6
(median 3). Pubertal children had significantly more (_p_ < 0.05) ir-GHRH pulses and the pulse amplitude was higher (_p_ < 0.05) than in the prepubertal children. There were no
significant differences in the GH parameters between the two groups. The ir-GHRH peaks were not significantly related to any specific sleep stage. The majority of the GH pulses (71%) were
associated with slow wave sleep (_p_ < 0.001). Two-thirds (69%) of the GHRH peaks preceded closely or coincided with GH pulses (_p_ < 0.02). Pubertal subjects had more isolated ir-GHRH
peaks than prepubertal children (_p_ < 0.05). We conclude that the nocturnal secretion of ir-GHRH is pulsatile and, assuming that the peripheral plasma concentrations of ir-GHRH reflect
its release from the hypothalamus, GHRH appears to play a physiologic role in the regulation of GH secretion. The partial dissociation between ir-GHRH and GH pulses suggests that other
factors are also involved in the regulation of episodic GH release and/or that some of the circulating ir-GHRH originates from extrahypothalamic sources. Pubertal children have increased
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AFFILIATIONS * Department of Pediatrics, University of Oulu, Oulu, SF-90220, Finland Päivi Tapanainen, Heikki Rantala, Pentti Lautala, Marja-Liisa Käär & Mikael Knip * Physiology,
University of Oulu, Oulu, SF-90220, Finland Juhani Leppäluoto Authors * Päivi Tapanainen View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Heikki Rantala
View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Juhani Leppäluoto View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar
* Pentti Lautala View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Marja-Liisa Käär View author publications You can also search for this author
inPubMed Google Scholar * Mikael Knip View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE
CITE THIS ARTICLE Tapanainen, P., Rantala, H., Leppäluoto, J. _et al._ Nocturnal Release of Immunoreactive Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone and Growth Hormone in Normal Children. _Pediatr
Res_ 26, 404–409 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198911000-00003 Download citation * Received: 04 January 1989 * Accepted: 19 June 1989 * Issue Date: 01 November 1989 * DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198911000-00003 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get shareable link Sorry, a shareable link is
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