Effects of synthetic salmon calcitonin administration on gastrin, immunoreactive insulin and growth hormone release after protein meal in uremic patients.

Recent studies indicate that calcitonin inhibits, in man, the secretion of several hormones such as gastrin, insulin, growth hormone. There are no reports about this effect in uremic patients in which frequently calcitonin, gastrin, growth hormone, and insulin response to glucose administration is increased. A comparative study of the effects of synthetic salmon calcitonin infusion (50 U iv) on gastrin, growth hormone and insulin release protein meal (250 g of boiled lean beef) in 10 uremic patients undergoing hemodialysis and in 10 normal subjects was performed. Insulin and growth hormone response to protein meal was inhibited by calcitonin both in normal and uremic subjects. Gastrin response instead was inhibited only in normal subjects. These findings indicate that in uremic patients the inhibitory effect of calcitonin on insulin and growth hormone secretion is still present. The lack of evident inhibitory effect on gastrin release could be related to persistent hypergastrinemia because of the increased half life of the hormone which could mask acute changes of secretion.