Attenuation by hypocalcemia of pulsatile growth hormone secretion in conscious male rats

The effect of hypocalcemia following parathyroidectomy (PTX) on growth hormone (GH) secretion was investigated in unrestrained, unanesthetized male rats bearing chronically implanted indwelling cannulae. During a 6-hour period, starting at about 10 a.m., control rats with a serum calcium (Ca) value of 8.11 +/- 0.38 mg/dl (mean +/- SEM) 2 weeks after sham-operation showed secretory bursts of GH similar to those observed in conscious intact rats. Under hypocalcemia of 4.88 +/- 0.32 mg/dl 2 weeks after PTX, GH secretory episodes were completely suppressed throughout the study. Plasma prolactin (PRL) levels were also decreased in PTX rats as compared with those of sham-operated rats. Daily food intake and body weight gain as well as serum T4 levels in PTX rats were not different from those of sham-operated and intact rats. Pituitary GH content of PTX rats was significantly lower than that of sham-operated and control rats. Pulsatile GH secretion was partially restored in PTX rats by raising serum Ca to 8.43 +/- 0.27 mg/dl through feeding with high Ca diet containing 7% Ca. Immediately after intravenous injection of antisomatostatin sheep serum, pulsatile GH surges recovered in PTX rats despite hypocalcemia of 4.48 +/- 0.74 mg/dl. The mean plasma 6-hour GH levels were significantly higher than those of normal sheep-serum-treated PTX rats (p less than 0.001). These findings suggest that the episodic release of GH is suppressed in hypocalcemic rats after PTX, at least partially via circulating endogenous somatostatin.