Rat growth hormone-releasing factor stimulates cyclic GMP formation and phosphatidylinositol metabolism in the median eminence.

The effects of rat growth hormone releasing factor (rGRF) on somatostatin (SRIF) secretion, cyclic nucleotide production and phosphatidylinositol metabolism were investigated in the median eminence (ME), using an in vitro system. Medium was discarded and replaced by medium containing various concentrations of rGRF or rGRF plus epinephrine (E, 6 x 10(-7) M). rGRF had no effect on basal or E-stimulated release of cAMP. In the same experiments rGRF markedly stimulated SRIF release. These results suggested that cAMP is not involved in the stimulatory effect of GRF on SRIF release. However, GRF significantly stimulated release of both SRIF and cGMP in a dose-related manner. Maximal stimulation was observed at 10(-10) M GRF (p less than 0.005) which also produces maximal SRIF release. 2'0-monobutyrylguanosine 3'5' cyclic phosphate (mbcGMP, 10(-11) to 10(-10) M) stimulated SRIF release from ME fragments (p less than 0.001 at 10(-10) M) whereas the control, sodium butyrate (10(-6) M), had no effect. GRF caused significant elevation of 30.6% in the concentration of labelled inositol phosphates [( 3H]-IPs) in the ME. These data indicate that GRF stimulation of SRIF release is accompanied by increased cGMP production and phosphatidyl-inositol (PI) metabolism but does not alter cAMP production. Because mbcGMP can directly stimulate SRIF release, we suggest that GRF causes a receptor-mediated increase in the metabolism of phosphatidylinositol and cGMP formation. These actions therefore may be among the early metabolic events in the mechanism of GRF-stimulated SRIF release from the ME.