Physiology of growth hormone secretion during sleep

The temporal relation between the first few hours of sleep and the secretion of growth hormone (GH), which is present in normal persons of both sexes from early childhood until late adulthood, is reviewed. In adults the most reproducible pulse of GH secretion occurs shortly after the onset of sleep...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of pediatrics 1996-05, Vol.128 (5), p.S32-S37
Main Authors: Van Cauter, Eve, Plat, Laurence
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Aged
Aging - physiology
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Circadian Rhythm - physiology
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Growth Hormone - blood
Growth Hormone - metabolism
Growth Hormone - physiology
Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone - pharmacology
Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone - physiology
Hormones and neuropeptides. Regulation
Humans
Hypothalamus. Hypophysis. Epiphysis. Urophysis
Male
Middle Aged
Rodentia
Sex Factors
Sexual Maturation - drug effects
Sexual Maturation - physiology
Sleep - drug effects
Sleep - physiology
Sleep Stages - physiology
Time Factors
Vertebrates: endocrinology
Wakefulness - drug effects
Wakefulness - physiology
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Summary:The temporal relation between the first few hours of sleep and the secretion of growth hormone (GH), which is present in normal persons of both sexes from early childhood until late adulthood, is reviewed. In adults the most reproducible pulse of GH secretion occurs shortly after the onset of sleep in association with the first phase of slow-wave sleep (SWS) (stages III and IV). In men approximately 70% of the GH pulses during sleep coincide with SWS, and the amount of GH secreted during these pulses correlates with the concurrent amount of SWS. Sleep-related secretion of GH appears to be primarily dependent on the release of growth hormone-releasing hormone. Rodent and human studies have shown that growth hormone-releasing hormone injections decrease wakefulness and increase SWS. During the fourth decade of life (ages 30 to 40 years) the total amount of GH secreted over a 24-hour span decreases by two- to threefold. Similarly, the amount of SWS decreases dramatically over the same narrow age range. Because the sleep-onset GH pulse is often the major secretory output in adults, age-related decrements in sleep-related GH secretion likely play a major role in the hyposomatotropism of senescence. (J P EDIATR 1996;128:S32-7)
ISSN:0022-3476
1097-6833
DOI:10.1016/S0022-3476(96)70008-2