Insulin secretion from pancreatic islets: Effect of growth hormone and related proteins

Summary Insulin responses to clinical grade human growth hormone (hGH), intact hGH, naturally occurring diabetogenic substance (NDS), and subtilisin cleaved forms of hGH (S₁ and S₃) were studied using hypophysectomized rat pancreatic islets. While clinical grade hGH (200 g/ml) elicited a prompt and sustained release of insulin, purified intact hGH (200 g/ml) did not. Naturally occurring diabetogenic substance, isolated from clinical grade hGH preparations, stimulated insulin release at 200 ng/ml. Upon repeat stimulation with NDS, a significantly greater insulin release than with initial stimulation was observed. Although S₃ (200 /ml) elicited significant insulin release, S₁ (200 g/ml) did not. Direct stimulation of insulin release with clinical grade hGH is not due to intact hGH but another protein(s) such as NDS. Enzymic modification of intact hGH appears to enhance insulin stimulatory capacity.