Influence of Brain Neurohumors Injected Into the Lateral Ventricle of the Rat on Growth Hormone Release

Epinephrine (0.5 μg), norepinephrine (0.5 and 0.1 μg) and dopamine (0.5 and 0.1 μg) when injected into the lateral ventricle of the rat brain, induced a depletion of growth hormone (GH) pituitary content. Unlike adrenergic compounds, other physiological constituents of hypothalamic tissue, i.e., serotonin (0.5 μg), acetylcholine (0.5 μg), vasopressin (8 mU) and oxytocin (8 mU) did not show any GHreleasing activity when given by intraventricular route. The effect of epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine appeared to be unrelated to changes of blood glucose or body temperature. These results support the view that adrenergic mediators participate in the neurohumoral control of GH secretion. (Endocrinology83: 893, 1968)