Nonspecific response of serum growth hormone (GH) to thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) in diabetes mellitus

It is well known that GH secretion and regulation in diabeties are abnomal.In order to evaluate the response of GH to nonphysiological stimuli in diabetics,a TRH test（500μg in bolus） was carried out in 12 patiens with insulin-dependent diabetes（IDD.6 females and 5 males）11noninsulin dependent diabetes（NIDD,6 females and 5 males）and 10 normal controls（4 females and 6 males）.The results showed that the basal serum GH levels in diabetics were higher than those in normal controls and that they were even higher in IDD than in NIDD.Following the TRH stimulation the mean peak levels of GH in IDD were the highest among the three groups.The differences were statistically significant.It was concluded that a nonspecific secreation of GH in response to TRH did occur in IDD,the peak values being higher in females than in males.A negative correlation between the GH peak values and the ages of the patients and the controls supported the viewpoint that GH responsiveness to TRH has a tendency to progressive decline with the advancing age.No significant correlation was found among the peak values of GH and the blood glucose levels or the presence of microangiopathic complications.