Differential effects of elevated potassium ion concentration and of theophylline on growth hormone release by rat adenohypophyses in vitro.

The effects of 27 mM K+ and of 6.7 mM theophylline on the release of growth hormone (GH) by rat hemipituitaries in vitro were investigated using bioassay (rat tibia test) and radioimmunoassay (RIA). Both agents markedly increased the release of immunoreactive GH. High K+ also promoted the release of bioactive GH but to a much lesser degree than RIA-GH. Theophylline did not consistently affect the release of bioassay-detectable GH. The results suggest that these agents promote massive release of a form of immunoreactive GH (possibly "immature") that has little or no activity in the bioassay. Theophylline is relatively more effective in this regard than is elevated K+.