Growth hormone secretion in anaesthetized fowl. 2. Influence of heterologous stimuli in birds refractory to human pancreatic growth hormone-releasing (hpGRF) or thyrotrophin releasing hormone (TRH).

In anaesthetized young (6 weeks old) and adult (22-30 weeks old) domestic fowl, the administration of thyrotrophin releasing hormone (TRH; 1.0 micrograms/kg in young birds; 10.0 micrograms/kg in adults) or human pancreatic growth hormone-releasing factor (hpGRF(1-44)NH2; 10.0 micrograms/kg in both cases) markedly increased the growth hormone (GH) concentration in plasma samples collected 10 min later. In birds injected with TRH, this stimulation of GH secretion attenuated the GH response to a second TRH challenge (given 15 or 60 min after the first in adult or young birds, respectively); similarly, hpGRF pretreatment blunted the GH response to a further hpGRF injection. However, the administration of hpGRF to both immature and adult birds made refractory to TRH challenge was followed by increased GH secretion and vice versa. Moreover, the GH secretory response to hpGRF in birds pretreated with TRH was greater (1.99-fold in young birds, 1.52-fold in adults) than the increase in plasma GH concentration following hpGRF administration in untreated birds. Similarly, prior exposure to hpGRF also increased the GH response to TRH stimulation (by 2.24-fold in the young, 3.56-fold in the adults). These results demonstrate that TRH not only overcomes GH refractoriness to hpGRF and vice versa, but the GH response to heterologous provocative stimuli is potentiated in birds refractory to TRH or hp GRF challenge.