The role of growth hormone in the pathogenesis of postmenopausal osteoporosis

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Abstract
The secretory response of somatotrophic hormone (STH) to arginine hydrochloride stimulation (0.5 g/kg) was studied in 13 postmenopausal women. Eight showed evidence of osteoporosis, based on clinical and morphoradiological data and on metacarpal cortical thickness measurement, and 5 had normal bone mass. In addition, the response to L-dopa (500 mg) was determined in 4 of the osteoporotic subjects did not differ from those in the nonosteoporotic group, but the latter showed a significant increase over the former at 45, 60, 90 and 120 min. after stimulation. Similar findings were obtained with L-dopa stimulation. The poor secretory response of STH may be to some degree responsible for the osteopenia observed during the climateric.