SERUM THYROTROPHIN, PROLACTIN AND GROWTH HORMONE, RESPONSE TO TRH DURING OESTROGEN TREATMENT

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Abstract
The serum levels of thyrotropin (TSH), prolactin (PRL) and growth hormone (GH) and the response of these hormones to 500 .mu.g thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) i.v. were studied in menstruating women, in post-menopausal women before and after 2 mg estradiol valerate for 5 consecutive days, and in men on long term estrogen treatment. Estrogen treatment had no effect on basal serum TSH levels, which were within the normal range in all groups. The TSH response to TRH was not different in menstruating and post-menopausal women and was not changed in the latter group after estrogen treatment. In men treated chronically with estrogens, the TSH response to TRH was similar to that found in normal male subjects. There was no difference in basal levels of serum PRL between males and menstruating females. In the post-menopausal women basal levels of serum PRL was significantly decreased, but rose during estrogen treatment to serum levels normally found in menstruating women. In the estrogen treated males basal serum PRL levels were significantly higher than in untreated men. The PRL response to TRH was significantly greater in females than in males, but in the estrogen treated males the PRL response to TRH was greatly increased and almost of the same magnitude as the response in females. There was no difference in PRL response between menstruating and post-menopausal women, and estrogen treatment of the latter group had no significant effect on the PRL response. Basal levels of serum GH did not differ between the groups. In the group of 9 post-menopausal women 1 subject showed a small GH response to TRH prior to estrogen treatment, while 7 subjects showed GH responses to TRH after estrogen treatment. In the group of 5 chronically estrogen treated men, 2 subjects had increased serum levels of GH after TRH. Estrogen administration may induce PRL release in human subjects, while estrogens seem to play a far less important role in the regulation of GH and TSH secretion.

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