Impact of endocrine manipulations on brain-based rat growth hormone

Our laboratory has previously described the widespread distribution of an immunoreactive and bioactive rat growth hormone (rGH)-like protein in rat brain. It has also been demonstrated that regulation of pituitary rGH secretion is at least partly mediated by a short-loop negative feedback system. In such a system, increased levels of rGH, acting at a suprapituitary locus, would decrease pituitary GH secretion. Thus, the present study has dealt with attempts to further investigate the hypothesis that one function of brain-based rGH might be as a mediator of the short-loop negative feedback system controlling pituitary rGH release. If brain-based rGH were to function as a mediator of such a system, then in situations where serum rGH levels are decreased, brain rGH concentrations should increase, indicating activation of a negative feedback loop. In the present communication we report that significantly decreased serum GH levels in oophorectomized and in thyroidectomized rats were coupled with a significant increase in rGH concentrations in the hypothalamus and in the amygdala. By contrast, adrenalectomy, which was not associated with any changes in levels of GH in serum caused no perturbations in levels of rGH in the brain. These discordant changes in serum and brain-based rGH are findings compatible with the hypothesis that one function of brain-based rGH is as a mediator of the short-loop negative feedback system regulating the release of pituitary GH.