Plasma levels of growth hormone in female rats of different ages.

Radioimmunoassayable growth hormone (GH) was determined in fed and fasted female rats of different ages. In 6-40 day-old rats blood was collected at hourly intervals in groups of rats at different time intervals during the day. Within each age group the variation in plasma GH was considerable. In 6-14 day-old rats plasma GH was generally elevated. By day 18 levels declined, lowest on day 22 and by day 26 again increasing. In 14 day-old rats the median plasma level of GH was 22 ng/ml, in 22 day-old rats less than 5 ng/ml and in 40 day-old rats 43 ng/ml. In 14 day-old rats levels ranged from less than 5 ng/ml--148 ng/ml, in 22 day-old rats from less than 5 ng/ml--34 ng/ml and in 40 day-old rats from less than 5 ng/ml--greater than 200 ng/ml. A 20 h fasting period was associated with a significant decrease in plasma GH. In 45 day-old rats, the variations in plasma GH of individual animals were studied by obtaining sequential blood samples from unrestrained, undisturbed animals with implanted intra-aortic cannulae. In these rats GH secretion was characterized by an episodic release, occurring every 2--4 h. After a 20 h fasting period major peaks were depressed and occurred less frequently. It is concluded that there is an age-related as well as a circadian rhythm in growth hormone secretion in the rat and that sequential sampling of blood is essential for the evaluation of the secretory pattern.