Pulsatile Release of Growth Hormone and Prolactin from the Primate Pituitary<i>in Vitro</i>*

Abstract

Perifused anterior hemipituitaries from one male and 4 female monkeys released GH and PRL in a pulsatile pattern, with mean +/- SE interpulse intervals of 8.2 +/- 0.4 and 8.5 +/- 0.3 min, as determined by a cycle detection computer algorithm. Mean hormone concentrations in the perifusate fractions collected at 2-min intervals were 435 +/- 89 (GH) and 515 +/- 262 (PRL) ng/ml. Pulse amplitudes averaged 74 +/- 16 ng/ml for GH and 189 +/- 89 ng/ml for PRL. These findings suggest the presence of a high frequency pulsatile secretory mechanism within the primate pituitary.