The effect of growth hormone replacement on cortisol metabolism and glucocorticoid sensitivity in hypopituitary adults.

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of Exogenous HGH, sermorelin & older GHRPs (why they're passed over), published as a randomized controlled trial.

The underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood and a possible contribution of altered cortisol metabolism or action has not been evaluated.

The researchers have investigated the effect of GH replacement therapy on cortisol metabolism, cortisol binding globulin and in-vitro glucocorticoid sensitivity in a group of adult hypopituitary patients.

Who Took Part

The study group was 19 patients.

The age groups tagged for this paper are adults and middle-aged adults, both men and women.

Glucocorticoid sensitivity was determined in lymphocyte preparations from 8 patients, during GH therapy and after washout, using an in-vitro technique dependent on dexamethasone suppression of phytohaemagglutinin-stimulated thymidine incorporation into DNA.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study.

The patients were allocated by chance, so the Exogenous HGH, sermorelin & older GHRPs (why they're passed over) group and the comparison group should start out alike.

Blinding on both sides kept the patients and researchers unaware of who received Exogenous HGH, sermorelin & older GHRPs (why they're passed over).

The comparison arm used a placebo, so changes seen with Exogenous HGH, sermorelin & older GHRPs (why they're passed over) could be set against what happens without it.

Twenty-four-hour urine free cortisol, cortisol metabolites (CoM), ratio 11-hydroxy/11-oxo CoM (F/E) and ratio 5 alpha/beta tetrahydrocortisol were measured at 6 months, 12 months and after the 6 week washout phase.

Serum cortisol binding globulin was measured basally, at 6 months, 12 months and after washout.

What Was Measured

The subject headings attached to it are Aldosterone, Carrier Proteins, Glucocorticoids, Growth Hormone, Hydrocortisone, Hypopituitarism and Renin.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Exogenous HGH, sermorelin & older GHRPs (why they're passed over) in 19 patients.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

Its findings take up roughly 11 sentences of the abstract and are left out here on purpose; the source paper is the place to read them.

The publication is from 1994 (Clinical endocrinology), a journal based in England.

More context: the Exogenous HGH, sermorelin & older GHRPs (why they're passed over) compound page, all human trials.