Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) does not suppress growth hormone response to L-dopa in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) blunts growth hormone (GH) response to various stimuli in normal subjects. We were interested if similar inhibitory effect of TRH could be demonstrated in diabetes mellitus where GH is abnormally regulated. In this study we compared the effect of TRH on GH response to L-dopa in normal and diabetic subjects. TRH 0.2 mg iv blunted GH response to L-dopa 0.5 g p.o. in normal subjects with peak GH values 13.1 and 7.3 micrograms/l, p < 0.05. In the diabetics no inhibitory effect of TRH was demonstrated and GH was even paradoxically increased after TRH: 14.9 and 21.9 micrograms/l, p = NS. Lack of inhibitory effect of TRH was more pronounced in patients with proliferative retinopathy. It is concluded that TRH has no inhibitory effect on L-dopa-induced GH response in diabetic subjects. This finding provides further evidence for disturbed GH regulation in diabetes mellitus.