Nicotine from cigarette smoking enhances clonidine‐induced increase of serum growth hormone concentrations in men.

Abstract

In order to determine whether nicotine exerts its stimulant effect on serum concentrations of growth hormone (GH) by interacting with an adrenergic pathway, we evaluated the effect of cigarette smoking on the response of GH to the administration of clonidine, a specific a-adrenoceptor agonist. In six normal volunteers, clonidine significantly increased serum levels of GH. When subjects smoked two non-filter cigarettes, GH response to the a-adrenoceptor agonist was greatly enhanced. These findings suggest that in man nicotinic cholinergic and adrenergic mechanisms might interact in the stimulation of GH secretion.

Occupational exposure to urban pollutants and plasma insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1)

“…In order to avoid the influence of confounding factors, the following were excluded: 132 smokers (min -max number of cigarettes for day 1 -60) (Wilkins et al 1982;Coiro et al 1984), 125 subjects who consumed wine, beer or spirits (Paassilta et al 1998;Rojdmark and Brismar 2001), seven subjects for current use of oral contraceptives (Balogh et al 2000) and seven subjects for use of paints, solvents, and pesticides (Porter et al 1993;Pancheri et al 2002). The remaining traffic policemen were matched with controls by sex, age and length of service (mean, SD, distribution).…”

Abnormal effect of cigarette smoking on pituitary hormone secretions in insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus

“…Adrenergic hyperactivity is a well known phenomenon affecting diabetic patients (Christensen, 1974;Robertson et al 1976;Del Rio et al, 1990;Speroni et al, 1983). In light of the adrenergic mediation of the GH (Coiro et al, 1984) and ACTH (Matta et al, 1990; responses to cigarette smoking, the abnormal effect of smoking on GH and cortisol secretion observed in our diabetics might be attributable to the adrenergic disorder.…”

Cholinergic Modulation of Growth Hormone Secretion Induced by Galanin in Rats

“…The administration of nicotine is reported to decrease GH levels in rats [29], whereas it is reported to enhance clonidineinduced GH secretion in man [30]. Furthermore, piperidine, a nicotinic cholinergic agonist, enhanced sleep-related and in sulin-induced GH secretion [31].…”

“…These findings indicate that the stimulatory etfect of GAL on GH secretion is different from that of GHRH in regard to its dependency on the somatostatinergic systems. In man, GAL is reported to poten tiate the GH release induced by GHRH [27] and override the in hibitory effect of PIR on GHRH-induced GH release [30], sug gesting that GAL may directly inhibit the hypothalamic somato statin release. We [ 10,11] and Celia et al [36] have reported that GHRH is involved in GH secretion induced by GAL.…”