Effect of Anterior Pituitary Growth Hormone on Urinary Nitrogen Loss Following Fracture.

Abstract

The daily N excretion of 4 groups of 6 rats each was followed while they were on a constant and restricted food intake. One group was retained as a normal control, one was unoperated but given growth hormone, one had bilateral femur fractures but was untreated, and the remaining group had bilateral femur fractures but received growth hormone. One mg. of growth hormone was administered daily. Both-fractured groups showed a rise in N excretion but the growth hormone treated group did not reach as high a peak as did the untreated group. Both the unoperated and fractured groups which received growth hormone showed a N retention of from 20 mg.-24 mg./day when compared with their respective controls. Growth hormone thus promotes N retention even under the stress of fracture.