Abstract
GH secretion is under complex neurotransmitter and hormonal control. GH releasing hormone (GHRH) is released from the hypothalamus into the hypothalamic-hypophyseal circulation, stimulating pulsatile GH secretion. Hypothalamic somatostatin, on the other hand, inhibits GH release. GH stimulates the synthesis of insulin-like growth factor I in several peripheral tissues, which mediates some, but not all, of GH hormone action. Completing the feedback-loop paradigm, IGF-I directly interacts with specific IGF receptors on somatotropes, inhibiting further GH secretion. Moreover, IGF receptors are present in brain, and there is evidence that locally synthesized IGF-I can inhibit GHRH release and stimulate somatostatin secretion, thereby suppressing GH secretion (1). Finally, GH inhibits its own secretion at the level of the hypothalamus.
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Ceda, G.P. et al. (1994). Effects of an Acetylcholine Precursor on GH Secretion in Elderly Subjects. In: Bercu, B.B., Walker, R.F. (eds) Growth Hormone II. Serono Symposia USA Norwell, Massachusetts. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-8372-7_25
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-8372-7_25
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