Growth hormone releasing hormone stimulates the release of gastrin in rat.

The inhibitory effect of somatostatin on gastrin release is well known. Could the growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH), an antagonist of somatostatin on growth hormone (GH) release, have a gastrin-releasing effect on gastrin? To answer this question, two types of experiments were conducted: (1) The study of the effect of GHRH on gastrin in rats, which showed a significant and dose related release for the three doses studied: 0.12, 0.6 and 3.0 micrograms/rat. (2) The study on the recurrence of this gastrin releasing effect which has been found to be significant (1 to 5 injections at 1 hour intervals). Our data suggest that GHRH is an hypothalamic releasing factor for gastrin release. Accordingly, gastrin may mediate the observed proliferative effect of GHRH in the upper digestive tract.