Neuroendocrine control of immunoreactive growth hormone and bioactive prolactin secretion in neonatal rats: ontogeny and interactions between the serotonergic, cholinergic and alpha 2-adrenergic systems.

The effects of the alpha 2-agonist clonidine (CLO), the serotonin (5-HT) precursor 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan (5-HTP), the 5-HT2/histamine (H1) antagonist cyproheptadine (CYPRO), the muscarinic cholinergic antagonist atropine (ATR), and an affinity-purified polyclonal anti-rat growth hormone-releasing hormone (rGHRH) immunoglobulin on serum concentrations of growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (PRL) were tested in 2- and 10-day-old litter-mate rat pups. Serum levels of GH and PRL were detected in RIA and Nb2 lymphoma bioassay, respectively. The effects of two different drugs either alone or in combination with each other were evaluated by two-factor analysis of variance. The data indicated that secretion of GH and PRL was regulated by alpha 2-adrenergic, serotonergic and cholinergic mechanisms; the pathways regulating the two hormones, however, were distinct. 5-HTP stimulated GH secretion as early as day 2 postpartum via cholinergic mechanisms not involving GHRH; this pathway was also present in 10-day-old pups. An additional serotonergic pathway was functional in 10-day-old pups which mediated CLO-induced release of GH, and did not include cholinergic transmission.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)