Effects of hypophysectomy and short-term growth hormone replacement on insulin release from and glucose metabolism in isolated rat islets of Langerhans.

The effects of hypophysectomy and short-term GH replacement on insulin release and on some aspects of glucose metabolism in isolated rat islets of Langerhans were investigated. The effects on body, pancreas and adrenal gland weights, and on the levels of blood plasma constituents were also measured. Three to four weeks after hypophysectomy the early and late phases of insulin release from islets incubated with high concentrations of glucose, but not with low concentrations of glucose or with xylitol, leucine, arginine, tolbutamide, citrate or butyrate, were significantly lowered. Short-term GH replacement partially reversed the depression in glucose-stimulated insulin release. This reversal effect was not dependent on the increase in body weight of rats after GH replacement when the fall in adrenal gland but not in pancreas weight was also reversed. Nine out of the 12 plasma constituents measured, including glucose, were maintained in the control range of levels, but albumin, inorganic phosphate and urea nitrogen levels were altered after hypophysectomy or GH replacement. Three to four weeks after hypophysectomy, total glucose oxidation and glucose utilization by the islets were slightly depressed. Hypophysectomy appeared to slow down glucose 6-phosphate utilization in the islets. However, the functional capacity of the glucose phosphorylating, glucose-6-phosphate and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase activities were not changed. Short-term GH replacement caused improvements in these islet functions.