[Current status of somatocrinin, or GRF, a hypothalamic growth hormone-secreting factor]

This short review on GRF is divided into two parts: laboratory findings: Current status of the knowledge on the primary structure of all the GRFs isolated from mammalian sources; structure activity relationships as obtained with synthetic fragments and analogs of GRF; the mechanisms of action of GRF in vitro and in vivo; the localization by techniques of hypothalamic GRF neurons.

A summary of past and current clinical studies with hGRF or fragments of hGRF establishing the dose range/effect in normal young adults; pharmacokinetics of hGRF; intravenous, sub-cutaneous and intranasal modes of administration; multi hours perfusions; the use of hGRF alone and in combination with other releasing factors as a diagnostic tool; early clinical results of stimulation of statural growth. Limited bibliography.