OPIATE PEPTIDES CONTROL GROWTH HORMONE THROUGH A CHOLINERGIC MECHANISM IN MAN

Abstract
Opiate peptides elevate circulating GH [growth hormone] in man, and data in other animals suggest that acetylcholine may be involved. The long-acting met-enkephalin analog DAMME [D-Ala2-MePhe4-met-enkephalin-(o)-ol] was administered to 6 normal males, and the resulting elevation in GH is blocked by the specific cholinergic antgonist, pirenzipine. It seems likely that a cholinergic mechanism may interact with opiate-induced changes in GH in man.