Abstract
Pituitary growth hormone (GH) release in the rat is stimulated via serotoninergic pathways and can be inhibited by treatment with compounds that act as serotonin antagonists, such as cyproheptadine or the pineal gland hormone, melatonin. To investigate a possible role for serotonin in the control of human GH release, the effects of cyproheptadine and melatonin administration on the GH responses of normal male subjects were examined.
The oral administration of cyproheptadine (8—12 mg daily for 5 days) to normal subjects reduced their GH responses to both insulin-induced hypoglycemia and physical exercise to a highly significant extent. Similarly, the mean GH responses of 10 subjects to insulin-induced hypoglycemia were significantly reduced after the prior oral administration of melatonin (1 g).
The data presented show that serotonin antagonism has a similar effect on GH secretion in man to that observed in the rat and provides further evidence for serotoninergic, and possibly pineal, involvement in the control of human GH secretion.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Banna N. R., Anderson E. G. The effects of 5-hydroxytryptamine antagonists on spinal neuronal activity. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1968 Aug;162(2):319–325. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Bivens C. H., Lebovitz H. E., Feldman J. M. Inhibition of hypoglycemia-induced growth hormone secretion by the serotonin antagonists cyproheptadine and methysergide. N Engl J Med. 1973 Aug 2;289(5):236–239. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197308022890503. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Blackard W. G., Heidingsfelder S. A. Adrenergic receptor control mechanism for growth hormone secretion. J Clin Invest. 1968 Jun;47(6):1407–1414. doi: 10.1172/JCI105832. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Boyd A. E., 3rd, Lebovitz H. E., Pfeiffer J. B. Stimulation of human-growth-hormone secretion by L-dopa. N Engl J Med. 1970 Dec 24;283(26):1425–1429. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197012242832602. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Collu R., Fraschini F., Visconti P., Martini L. Adrenergic and serotoninergic control of growth hormone secretion in adult male rats. Endocrinology. 1972 May;90(5):1231–1237. doi: 10.1210/endo-90-5-1231. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Imura H., Nakai Y., Yoshimi T. Effect of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) on growth hormone and ACTH release in man. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1973 Jan;36(1):204–206. doi: 10.1210/jcem-36-1-204. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Klein D. C., Weller J. L. Rapid light-induced decrease in pineal serotonin N-acetyltransferase activity. Science. 1972 Aug 11;177(4048):532–533. doi: 10.1126/science.177.4048.532. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Krieger D. T., Glick S. Absent sleep peak of growth hormone release in blind subjects: ccorrelation with sleep EEG stages. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1971 Nov;33(5):847–850. doi: 10.1210/jcem-33-5-847. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Laborit H. Correlations between protein and serotonin synthesis during various activities of the central nervous system (slow and desynchronized sleep, learning and memory, sexual activity, morphine tolerance, aggressiveness, and pharmacological action of sodium gamma-hydroxybutyrate). Res Commun Chem Pathol Pharmacol. 1972 Jan;3(1):51–81. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Molinatti G. M., Massara F., Strumia E., Pennisi F., Scassellati G. A., Vancheri L. Radioimmunoassay of human growth hormone. J Nucl Biol Med. 1969 Jan-Jun;13(1):26–36. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Müller E. E. Nervous control of growth hormone secretion. Neuroendocrinology. 1973;11(6):338–369. doi: 10.1159/000122146. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Piezzi R. S., Larin F., Wurtman R. J. Serotonin, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), and monoamide oxidase in the bovine median eminence and pituitary gland. Endocrinology. 1970 Jun;86(6):1460–1462. doi: 10.1210/endo-86-6-1460. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Smythe G. A., Lazarus L. Blockade of serotonin induced GH secretion in rats by melatonin and cyproheptadine. Horm Metab Res. 1973 May;5(3):227–227. doi: 10.1055/s-0028-1096734. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Smythe G. A., Lazarus L. Blockade of the dopamine-inhibitory control of prolactin secretion in rats by 3,4-dimethoxyphenylethylamine (3,4-di-O-methyldopamine). Endocrinology. 1973 Jul;93(1):147–151. doi: 10.1210/endo-93-1-147. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Smythe G. A., Lazarus L. Growth hormone regulation by melatonin and serotonin. Nature. 1973 Jul 27;244(5413):230–231. doi: 10.1038/244230a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Starr K. W. Growth and new growth: environmental carcinogens in the process of human ontogeny. Prog Clin Cancer. 1970;4:1–29. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Takahashi Y., Kipnis D. M., Daughaday W. H. Growth hormone secretion during sleep. J Clin Invest. 1968 Sep;47(9):2079–2090. doi: 10.1172/JCI105893. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- WURTMAN R. J., AXELROD J., PHILLIPS L. S. MELATONIN SYNTHESIS IN THE PINEAL GLAND: CONTROL BY LIGHT. Science. 1963 Nov 22;142(3595):1071–1073. doi: 10.1126/science.142.3595.1071. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- WURTMAN R. J., AXELROD J., POTTER L. T. THE UPTAKE OF H3-MELATONIN IN ENDOCRINE AND NERVOUS TISSUES AND THE EFFECTS OF CONSTANT LIGHT EXPOSURE. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1964 Mar;143:314–318. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Wise J. K., Lyall S. S., Hendler R., Felig P. Evidence of stimulation of glucagon secretion by alanine in the human fetus at term. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1973 Aug;37(2):341–344. doi: 10.1210/jcem-37-2-341. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- van Riezen H. Different central effects of the 5-HT antagonists mianserine and cyproheptadine. Arch Int Pharmacodyn Ther. 1972 Aug;198(2):256–269. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]