Effect of growth hormone of free fatty acid metabolism

Abstract

Bovine growth hormone (GH) was administered at 1 mg/kg day for various periods of time to normal dogs. The effects produced on plasma free fatty acid (FFA) metabolism were studied in these animals, in the unanesthetized state, using palmitate-C¹⁴. At 3–9 hr following intravenous injection of growth hormone significant increase were observed in plasma FFA concentration, turnover rate, total amount of FFA oxidized to CO₂, and per cent of total respiratory CO₂ derived from FFA. FFA production was increased by GH; FFA uptake and oxidation increased in parallel with plasma FFA concentration and apparently were not affected directly by GH. Similar changes were observed after 2 days of GH. After 7 days of GH all these parameters returned to control values. The transient effect of GH on FFA metabolism is in contrast with its reported prolonged effects on fat metabolism; possible reasons for this discrepancy are discussed.