Inhibitory effect of amylin on growth hormone responsiveness to growth-hormone-releasing hormone in the rat.

The effects of intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) or intracarotid (i.a.) administration of amylin (AMY) on growth hormone (GH) release induced by GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) were examined in conscious male rats. Amylin (25 ng-5 micrograms/rat, i.c.v. or 10 micrograms/rat, i.a.) was administered 10 min before GHRH (2 micrograms/kg, i.a.). I.c.v. administration of AMY dose-dependently inhibited GH secretion induced by GHRH but when given peripherally, AMY did not modify the GH response to GHRH. Amylin (10(-8)-10(-6) M) had no direct effect on the rat anterior pituitary in vitro either alone or when incubated with GHRH. To characterize the mechanism(s) involved in vivo in the inhibition of GH by AMY, we examined, at first, the effects of AMY on GHRH-induced GH release in rats depleted of somatostatin by pretreatment (4 h before) with cysteamine (300 mg/kg s.c.). The inhibitory activity of AMY on GH secretion elicited by GHRH seems to be independent of hypothalamic somatostatin; in fact, AMY was still active in rats treated with cysteamine. In addition, we examined the effects of i.c.v. AMY administration on clonidine (CLO)-induced GH secretion and on dopamine and noradrenaline content in the brain, since it is known that GHRH is a stimulus sensitive to changes in central catecholaminergic activity. The failure of AMY to affect GH secretion induced by activation of postsynaptic alpha 2-receptors by CLO and the finding that the peptide decreased noradrenaline content in the hypothalamus and striatum, indicates that AMY may inhibit GH release by interfering with the facilitatory influence of the catecholaminergic system on GH secretion.