Somatomedin production in the neonatal rat.

The hormonal stimulus to rat fetal and neonatal somatic and skeletal growth has been investigated by a study of ciruclating somatomedin (SM), growth hormone (GH) and insulin levels in rats from 21 days in utero to 40 days of post natal life. Somatomedin activity could not be detected in the serum of fetal rats in which circulating GH and insulin levels were high. In early post natal life GH and insulin levels remained high but gradually declined reaching normal adult levels at 19 days and 40 days respectively. Somatomedin activity was measurable only at low levels until 11 days after birth and thereafter remained steady throughout the time period studied. These studies suggest that somatomedin alone is not responsible for the rapid growth of the rat in early neonatal life and it is suggested that insulin may also be active as a growth factor in this period.