Progestins and growth hormone excess in the dog

Chronic overproduction of growth hormone in man and the cat is most often caused by a GH-producing tumour of the pituitary gland. In dogs the usual cause is quite different. In this species endogenous progestins (during metestrus) and exogenous progestins (used to prevent estrus) cause excessive GH secretion that is reversible. For a better understanding of the mechanism of progestin-induced GH synthesis and secretion, studies were carried out in healthy dogs and in dogs presented with GH excess. The effectiveness of stimulation of GH secretion by hGHRH, and clonidine and of the inhibition with the somatostatin analogue SMS 201-995 were evaluated in healthy male dogs. SMS 201-995 had no influence on basal plasma GH levels, but significantly inhibited the hGHRH and clonidine-evoked GH release. In healthy female dogs the basal concentrations of plasma GH were significantly higher during metestrus than during anestrus. The elevated basal plasma GH levels were associated with a diminished responsiveness to stimulation with clonidine. In female dogs with experimental or spontaneous progestin-induced chronic overproduction of GH (and IGF-I), plasma GH levels were completely unresponsive to stimulation with hGHRH and clonidine and to inhibition with SMS 201-995. It is concluded that in the female dog the progestin-induced GH excess has characteristics of autonomous secretion.