-transparent.png){kind=logo}
In acromegaly, regulation of GH secretion by dopamine pathways appears to be qualitatively abnormal. To determine whether regulation of GH secretion by serotonin pathways is also abnormal in acromegaly, we administered L-tryptophan (5 g orally), the initial precursor of serotonin, to 10 patients with active acromegaly (9 treated and 1 untreated), 3 patients with cured acromegaly, and 8 normal subjects. The normal group showed a significant (P less than 0.05) increase in serum GH after L-tryptophan [peak value, 12.3 +/- 4.0 (se) ng/ml], though the magnitude of the response was highly variable. In contrast, subjects with active acromegaly did not show an increase in serum GH after L-tryptophan [mean integrated percentage change in serum GH, -25 +/- 25% (SE); P = NS]. One patient whose acromegaly had been surgically cured did show a GH rise after L-tryptophan. In acromegaly, the GH response to L-tryptophan is absent, suggesting that regulation of GH secretion by serotonin pathways might be qualitatively abnormal.
A R Glass, and
M Schaaf, and
R C Dimond
December 1992,
Metabolism: clinical and experimental,
A R Glass, and
M Schaaf, and
R C Dimond
January 1991,
Brazilian journal of medical and biological research = Revista brasileira de pesquisas medicas e biologicas,
A R Glass, and
M Schaaf, and
R C Dimond
February 1985,
The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism,
A R Glass, and
M Schaaf, and
R C Dimond
January 1994,
Hormone research,
A R Glass, and
M Schaaf, and
R C Dimond
June 1984,
Journal of endocrinological investigation,
A R Glass, and
M Schaaf, and
R C Dimond
June 1983,
British medical journal (Clinical research ed.),
A R Glass, and
M Schaaf, and
R C Dimond
June 1973,
The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism,
A R Glass, and
M Schaaf, and
R C Dimond
July 1987,
Clinical endocrinology,
A R Glass, and
M Schaaf, and
R C Dimond
January 1986,
Psychopharmacology,
A R Glass, and
M Schaaf, and
R C Dimond
March 1977,
The Tohoku journal of experimental medicine,
