Effect of the neuropeptide hpGRF on exocrine pancreatic secretion in the rat

Abstract

The marked structural homology of human pancreatic growth hormone releasing factor (hpGRF) with peptide histidine-isoleucine (PHI) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), members of the glucagon-secretin family that stimulate pancreatic exocrine secretion, suggested that hpGRF should be tested for this activity. Synthetic hpGRF-44, shown to be active in releasing growth hormone in human volunteers, had no effect on the volume or protein content of pancreatic juice in anaesthetized rats at intravenous bolus doses from 20 to 1,840 pmol. GRF seems unlikely to have a physiological role as a pancreatic secretagogue.