Diminution of insulin effect by growth hormone in hypophysectomized dogs; studies with C14 glucose

Abstract

The mechanism whereby growth hormone diminishes the hypoglycemic effect of insulin was investigated in hypophysectomized dogs using a C¹⁴ glucose dilution technique. An intravenous injection of insulin into the normal dog increased the rate of glucose utilization, and the resulting hypoglycemia was promptly abolished by an increased rate of glucose production. In the hypophysectomized dog prior to growth hormone administration, the insulin injection increased the rate of glucose utilization to a greater extent than in the normal animal, while the ability to increase the rate of glucose production was shown to be limited. In the hypophysectomized dog, a growth hormone regimen (1 mg/kg/day for 4 days) increased the rate of glucose production and utilization. The intravenous injection of insulin during the growth hormone regimen resulted in a lesser increase in the rate of plasma glucose utilization than observed prior to the growth hormone regimen. Furthermore, the growth hormone regimen improved the animal's limited ability to increase glucose production in response to the insulin-induced hypoglycemia. These effects of growth hormone contribute to the decreased effectiveness of insulin. The relationship of the ‘anti-insulin’ effect of growth hormone to its influence on glucose turnover is discussed.