Lipolytic Effect of Growth Hormone in Acromegaly

The response of plasma FFA to a body weight-related intramuscular dose of HGH was studied in 20 acromegalic patients prior to hypophysectomy. Nine patients were studied at varying intervals after hypophysectomy had produced clinical remission of the disease. Plasma HGH levels were above normal in all unoperated patients and were not suppressed by glucose administration. Elevated levels of plasma growth hormone persisted in all hypophysectomized patients although a significant decrease in titer accompanied the undeniable clinical improvement. FFA increments after HGH administration, significantly depressed in untreated acromegalic subjects, increased toward normal after hypophysectomy but remained less than those observed in control subjects. In 8 acromegalic subjects, the lipolytic response to infused epinephrine was normal. The response of diabetic acromegalics to the lipolytic agents was similar to that of the nondiabetic subjects. After hypophysectomy, 2 diabetics no longer required insulin, and FFA response to HGH was increased.